UP voter list revision: Poll chief orders removal of duplicate entries, warns officials of strict action

Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinwa on Monday directed election officials to expedite removal of duplicate entries from the voter list and warned of strict action against those found guilty of negligence during the exercise. In a virtual meeting with district election officers and electoral registration officers, Rinwa reviewed preparations for the special campaign scheduled for October 24, and stressed the need to make voter lists accurate and error-free, according to an official statement. He said negligence or laxity at any level would not be tolerated and accountability would be fixed for officials and employees found responsible. The Election Commission (EC) has organised special voter registration camps across all 75 Uttar Pradesh districts on October 17 and 24 to enrol eligible citizens whose names are missing from electoral rolls, particularly first-time voters, ahead of the 2027 assembly elections. Rinwa directed officials to take cases of duplicate entries arising from multiple applications by the same voter during Special Intensive Revision (SIR) seriously. Booth-level officers (BLOs) should identify such cases and ensure their disposal as per rules by filing Form 7, he said. BLO supervisors were asked to regularly monitor the exercise and expedite the work, while electoral registration officers (EROs) and assistant electoral registration officers (AEROs) were directed to review progress effectively and ensure timely completion. The CEO said duplicate entries must be resolved on priority to ensure that the draft electoral rolls, scheduled to be published on November 12, are accurate and free of errors. He also directed officials to inform BLOs about necessary updates and procedural changes made in ERO-Net and provide them with the required training to ensure that electoral roll-related work is carried out in accordance with prescribed procedures. Rinwa said several eligible citizens are missing from electoral rolls in various assembly constituencies and called for a widespread awareness campaign to facilitate their registration. To ensure the success of the October 24 campaign, he asked officials to seek cooperation of government departments, voluntary organisations, booth-level agents (BLAs), municipal councillors and village heads. Special attention should be given to eligible citizens whose names have not yet been included in electoral rolls and young people registering as first-time voters, he said. He also called for effective efforts to ensure the inclusion of all eligible citizens, particularly women and persons with disabilities, in electoral rolls.