Jharkhand SIR: Over 3.46 lakh voters flagged with anomalies in Palamu
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Daltonganj, Aug. 6: The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has uncovered large-scale anomalies in Palamu district,…
Dilip Pratap Singh Shekhawat
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, Aug. 6: The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has uncovered large-scale anomalies in Palamu district, with 3,46,596 electors identified with discrepancies in the draft electoral roll published on August 5.
The findings, released by the Election Commission during the completion of the first month of the SIR exercise, revealed thousands of cases involving deceased voters, permanently shifted electors, duplicate entries and untraceable persons, leading to a sharp reduction in the district’s electorate compared to the 2024 General Elections.
Addressing his second press conference on the SIR exercise, District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner Dilip Pratap Singh Shekhawat said all voters whose names have been flagged would be issued notices and allowed to establish their eligibility.
According to the draft electoral roll, 3,46,596 electors across Palamu’s five Assembly constituencies have been identified with various anomalies.
Among them:
- Over 40,000 electors were found to be deceased.
- More than 70,000 voters were identified as untraceable or absent.
- Around 1.12 lakh electors were found to have permanently shifted to other districts.
- More than 36,000 duplicate voter entries were detected.
The district administration said notices would be issued to all such electors before any final decision is taken.
Daltonganj tops list of anomalies
Official figures show that all five Assembly constituencies in Palamu have a substantial number of flagged electors.
Daltonganj Assembly constituency recorded the highest number of anomalies with 81,586 electors, while Hussainabad reported the lowest, with just over 61,000 voters flagged.
Shekhawat said the responsibility now lies with the concerned electors to respond to the notices and remove the discrepancies.
“These 3,46,596 electors will be served notices to explain the anomalies. It is their responsibility to establish their eligibility,” he said.
ECI identifies 15 categories of anomalies
The Election Commission of India has identified 15 categories of anomalies during the SIR exercise, earlier referred to as “logical discrepancies” in other states.
These include unusual demographic patterns, such as a prospective voter allegedly having six children with age gaps of less than nine months, besides inconsistencies in family relationships and age records.
Officials said verification of family details and documentary evidence is part of the ongoing scrutiny.
Over 2.65 lakh under ASD category
Separately, 2,65,651 electors have been placed under the Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate and Refused (ASDD) category.
The district administration said notices would be issued to these electors, allowing them to file claims for inclusion in the final electoral roll.
Shekhawat said each case would be decided only after due hearing.
“Notices will be followed by hearings, and reasoned orders will be passed in every case. The task is enormous,” he said.
He estimated that every Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) may have to dispose of nearly 100 claims daily during the verification process.
Polling booths increase to 2,032
Despite the decline in the number of electors, the number of polling stations in Palamu has increased significantly following rationalisation approved by the Election Commission of India.
The district now has 2,032 polling booths, up from 1,796 during the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections—an increase of 236 booths.
According to the District Election Officer, the rationalisation was undertaken on three parameters:
- Polling stations with more than 1,200 voters,
- Booths located in dilapidated government buildings, and
- Polling stations situated more than two kilometres from habitations.
Electorate drops by over two lakh
One of the most striking outcomes of the SIR exercise is the sharp decline in the district’s voter population.
Palamu had 17,01,327 registered electors during the 2024 elections. As per the draft electoral roll published on August 5, 2026, the number has fallen to 14,99,296, a reduction of more than two lakh voters.
Officials clarified that the figure is provisional and may change after disposal of claims and objections.
‘Exercise meant to purify electoral rolls’
Responding to questions on whether the Special Intensive Revision amounts to a citizenship verification exercise, Shekhawat maintained that the objective is only to ensure a clean and accurate electoral roll.
He advised eligible citizens whose names are missing from the draft list to submit Form 6 along with the prescribed declaration regarding Indian citizenship.
Asked whether the exercise effectively serves as a citizenship test, the District Election Officer said applicants should furnish proof of birth in India—either of themselves or of either parent—as required under the prescribed guidelines.
“This exercise is only to purify the electoral rolls,” he said.
‘Home to Roll’ verification from August 25
The district administration will conduct a ‘Home to Roll’ verification drive from August 25 to September 4, during which Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit households and paste stickers carrying the message “One Family, Stay Together for Voting Together.”
The campaign aims to ensure that members of the same family are enrolled at the same polling station wherever feasible, as officials have found several instances of husbands, wives and adult children being registered at different polling booths.
The verification exercise will be one of the final stages before the publication of the revised electoral roll after disposal of all claims and objections.
