The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, completed in 14 states and Union territories so far, has shown a gap of more than 7 crore between the projected adult population and the number of voters included in the electoral rolls. This includes around 5 crore persons who were on the electoral rolls in 2024-25, but are now excluded as absentee, shifted, duplicate, deceased (ASDD) or due to “logical discrepancy”, and so on.

The estimated exclusion in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh exceeded 17% of the projected adult population. These two states, considering their contrasting migration patterns, should have been impacted by the removal of absentee or shifted away voters in very different ways.

In all likelihood, very few of those excluded from the rolls under SIR would have been “illegal migrants”. These writers had expressed this apprehension in a piece for The Wire, published on April 11, examining Absentee, Shifted, Duplicate and Deceased (ASDD) deletions and how the “absent” category was presumed rather than assessed by the Election Commission of India.

In the SIR, electors whose filled-in enumeration forms were not submitted have been excluded from the draft rolls, presuming they have shifted elsewhere without intent to return. The ‘absentee’ or ‘shifted’ status hinges on ordinary residence. Any question as to where a person is ordinarily resident at a relevant time has to be determined with reference to several facts and to such rules as may be made in this behalf.........

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