As Opposition parties hold protests across the country over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and demand the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, data from Jharkhand has added another point of scrutiny: more than a third of the State’s applications seeking deletion of names came from a single Assembly constituency.

The names deletion applications in 21 districts are in three digits. (PTI)

The Chatra figure

Of 13,443 Form 7 applications received across Jharkhand, 4,790 came from the Chatra Assembly constituency—around 36% of the State total. West Singhbhum and Deoghar were the only other districts to cross 1,000 applications, with 1,906 and 1,099 respectively.

The numbers have attracted political attention because the SIR is intended to scrutinise and update electoral rolls, while the accuracy of deletions directly affects the integrity of the voter list.

What officials say

Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer K. Ravi Kumar said the Chatra figures were verified with the district administration and that no anomaly was found. He explained that many Form 7 entries can arise automatically when voters submit Form 8 applications for shifting or booth rationalisation, since removal from the previous booth requires a corresponding deletion entry.

A Congress delegation led by media co-in-charge Kishore Nath Shahdeo sought clarification from the CEO and said it was informed that booth changes were a major reason behind the increase.

The process is still unfolding

The deadline for claims, objections and additions or deletions ended on September 30. Hearings on identified discrepancies continue until October 12, while the final electoral roll is scheduled for publication on October 19. The CEO has also sought additional time for notices, verification and publication.

Why every name matters

The national Opposition campaign has put SIR under heightened public scrutiny, but the Jharkhand figures also underline a larger principle: electoral-roll revision must be transparent enough for both inclusion and deletion to be independently understood and verified.

A voter list is not merely a database. Every name represents a citizen’s place in the democratic process—and every change deserves a clear, traceable reason.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/jharkhand-sir-36-of-name-deletion-applications-came-from-one-assembly-seat-data-shows-chatra-101790902172846.html