📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Snehrashmi
Politics
Gujarat Election Commission Removes Over 68 Lakh Voter Names, Sparks Protests
✍️ GujaratSamachar English
🗓 04 Oct 2026, 08:31 PM
👁 15
The Gujarat State Election Commission has deleted the names of more than 68 lakh voters from its electoral roll, prompting protests across the state as the Election Commission moves to contain the fallout.
In a recent update to Gujarat's Statewide Integrated Register (SIR), the State Election Commission removed the names of over 68 lakh registered voters from the electoral roll. The move, aimed at cleaning up duplicate and ineligible entries, was announced through an official circular released earlier this week.
The deletion triggered immediate backlash from political parties and civil society groups, who staged protests in several districts, alleging that legitimate voters could be disenfranchised ahead of upcoming polls. Demonstrators gathered outside the commission's regional offices, demanding a transparent review and reinstatement of the affected names.
In response, the Election Commission of India dispatched senior officials to Gujarat to oversee damage‑control measures. Authorities have set up a grievance redressal cell, promised expedited verification of contested entries, and urged voters to check their status online.
Officials warned that any delay in resolving the issue could impact voter turnout and raise legal challenges before the scheduled state assembly elections later this year.
The deletion triggered immediate backlash from political parties and civil society groups, who staged protests in several districts, alleging that legitimate voters could be disenfranchised ahead of upcoming polls. Demonstrators gathered outside the commission's regional offices, demanding a transparent review and reinstatement of the affected names.
In response, the Election Commission of India dispatched senior officials to Gujarat to oversee damage‑control measures. Authorities have set up a grievance redressal cell, promised expedited verification of contested entries, and urged voters to check their status online.
Officials warned that any delay in resolving the issue could impact voter turnout and raise legal challenges before the scheduled state assembly elections later this year.