**Senior Congress Leader Claims Voter Deletion in Uttar Pradesh**
A senior Congress leader has raised concerns over the removal of his name and those of his family members from the draft electoral roll published following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Uttar Pradesh. Gurdeep Singh Sappal stated that his name was among the 2.89 crore voters deleted from the list, despite his long history as a voter and having all necessary documentation.
Sappal took to social media platform X to express his frustration, noting that the draft SIR voter list released on Tuesday did not include his name or his family’s names. He highlighted that he has been listed as a voter since 2003 and that his parents were also included in the voter rolls from that year. “We have passports, birth certificates, Aadhaar, bank accounts, property papers, and Class 10 certificates — everything,” he emphasized.
With a background that includes working with the Vice President of India and serving as a joint secretary in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, Sappal is also a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC). He mentioned that he had previously engaged with the Election Commission regarding SIR-related issues and that booth-level officers were aware of his credentials. Despite this, he found his family’s names missing from the draft list.
Sappal was informed that the deletions were attributed to his family’s relocation from the Sahibabad Assembly constituency to the Noida Assembly constituency. He claimed that officials indicated there is no provision under SIR to retain the names of voters who have changed their residence, stating, “In other words, if a voter changes residence to a new area, their name is simply deleted.” He criticized this policy as a significant flaw in the electoral process.
He stressed that the issue extends beyond his personal situation, stating, “There are crores of genuine voters like me. I may still be able to fill a new Form-6 and get my family’s names added again, but how many people will actually be able to do this?” Sappal’s comments reflect broader concerns regarding the SIR process.
The controversy arises after the draft electoral roll was published following the SIR exercise in Uttar Pradesh. Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa reported that 2.89 crore voters, approximately 18.7% of the electorate, were excluded from the draft list, while 12.55 crore voters were retained from the previous total of 15.44 crore. The Election Commission attributed the exclusions to various factors, including deaths, permanent migration, unavailability during verification, or multiple registrations. The final electoral roll is set to be published on March 6, following a month-long claims and objections period from January 6 to February 6.
Opposition parties have raised questions regarding the scale of deletions and the execution of the SIR exercise, highlighting the need for transparency and fairness in the electoral process.
**FAQ**
**Q: What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise?**
A: The SIR exercise is a process conducted by the Election Commission to update the electoral rolls, ensuring that the list of voters is accurate and reflects current residents.
