Daltonganj
The draft electoral rolls prepared under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) were published in Palamu district on Wednesday, with the exercise flagging 3,46,596 electors for various anomalies.
The response from voters on the first day of publication remained subdued, but officials expect the process to gather momentum once notices are served to electors whose details have been flagged for discrepancies.
Palamu has five Assembly constituencies, and voters with anomalies have been identified across all five segments, with the numbers ranging from more than 61,000 to over 81,000.
Daltonganj Assembly constituency recorded the highest number of electors with anomalies at 81,586, according to official data.
Palamu Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer Dilip Pratap Singh Shekhawat said notices would be issued to the 3,46,596 electors, giving them an opportunity to clarify the discrepancies.
“These 3,46,596 electors will be noticed to clear their anomalies. It is their responsibility to come clean on the discrepancies,” Shekhawat said.
2.65 Lakh Electors in Absent, Shifted, Dead or Duplicate Categories
The district has also identified 2,65,651 electors under categories such as absent, shifted, deceased, duplicate and those who refused to sign enumeration forms.
According to Shekhawat, notices will be issued to such electors as well, allowing them to stake their claim for inclusion in the electoral rolls.
The district administration will subsequently conduct hearings on claims and objections. Shekhawat acknowledged that the process would involve a substantial workload, with reasoned orders required to be passed following the hearings.
“We believe each Electoral Registration Officer or Assistant Electoral Registration Officer will have to hear and dispose of around 100 notices for claims every day,” the DEO said.
Number of Polling Booths Rises, Elector Count Falls
As part of the rationalisation of polling stations, Palamu has added 236 new polling booths, taking the total number from 1,796 to 2,032.
Shekhawat said new booths were added primarily where existing polling stations had more than 1,200 voters, were located in dilapidated government buildings, or were situated more than two kilometres away from voters.
The Election Commission of India has approved the rationalisation exercise.
Despite the increase in polling booths, the number of electors in the district has declined significantly. Palamu had 17,01,327 electors in the 2024 electoral rolls, while the draft roll prepared under the SIR lists 14,99,296 electors as of August 5, 2026.
‘Exercise Aimed at Purifying Electoral Rolls’
Asked whether the SIR could effectively serve as a citizenship test, Shekhawat said electors may be required to provide proof of being born in India, either for themselves or their parents.
He emphasised that the objective of the exercise was to ensure that the electoral rolls remained accurate.
“This exercise is only to purify the electoral rolls,” Shekhawat said.
‘Home to Roll’ Drive from August 25
The district administration will also undertake a ‘Home to Roll’ verification drive from August 25 to September 4. During the campaign, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit voters’ homes and paste stickers carrying the message ‘One family stay together for voting together.’
The initiative is aimed at identifying cases where members of the same family—such as husband, wife and adult children—are registered at different polling booths.
According to the DEO, the SIR exercise seeks to ensure that eligible members of a family are assigned to the same polling booth wherever applicable, rather than being spread across different polling stations.
The publication of the draft rolls now sets the stage for the claims, objections and verification process, which officials expect to be a major undertaking in the coming weeks.
