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Big political names appear in Delhi SIR voter verification list. (Img: Dynamite News)
New Delhi: The Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Delhi electoral rolls has created a major buzz after several prominent names, including senior politicians, constitutional authorities, bureaucrats and public figures, received notices over discrepancies in voter records.
Former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Election Commissioner S S Sandhu, former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and several top government officials are among those whose details require additional verification before the final voter list is released.
The Election Commission has clarified that receiving a notice does not automatically mean removal from the electoral roll. The process allows voters to submit documents and clarify any mismatch in their details during the claims and objections period.
The Special Intensive Revision is a large-scale exercise aimed at checking, updating and improving electoral rolls.
During the verification process, election officials compare current voter details with previous electoral databases, including the 2002 voter records used for mapping.
Notices are being issued in cases where voter information could not be linked with previous records or where officials found inconsistencies in submitted details.
The issues include differences in names, mismatched family details, incorrect age-related information and missing links with earlier voter databases.
The Election Commission has said the objective is to ensure that electoral rolls remain accurate and free from errors while protecting the voting rights of eligible citizens.
Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu is among the senior officials whose voter details came under scrutiny during the SIR exercise.
According to officials, Sandhu received a notice due to a mismatch in his name details. His wife’s records were reportedly cleared, while his son’s entry was flagged due to a discrepancy related to parental information.
The names of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioner Vivek Joshi were reportedly cleared during the verification process.
Several senior serving and retired officials have also appeared among those receiving notices. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister Ajay Kumar Sood, Health Secretary Punya Salila, Fertiliser Secretary Rajat Kumar Mishra and Land Resources Secretary Narendra Bhooshan are among officials whose voter records were reportedly flagged.
The list also includes former NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya and former Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar. Their names were reportedly identified due to issues such as missing mapping with previous electoral rolls or discrepancies in submitted details.
The SIR process has also brought several major political figures into focus. Former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, who is 98 years old, received a notice along with his daughter Pratibha and daughter-in-law Geetika after their names were reportedly not linked with the 2002 electoral roll. However, Advani’s son Jayant successfully cleared the verification process.
Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and members of his family were also issued notices over voter record-related issues. Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and his wife Sudesh Dhankhar were also among those whose details required verification.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s voter details were initially flagged due to an age-related discrepancy involving family information. Officials later confirmed that her documents were verified and her name would be included in the final voter list.
The SIR verification process has not been limited to politicians and bureaucrats. Several former judges, public personalities and senior officials have also appeared in the list requiring additional document checks.
Former Chief Justice of India Justice B N Kirpal, former Supreme Court judge Justice A M Khanwilkar, former UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar, former Finance Commission Chairman Arvind Panagariya and former President Ram Nath Kovind’s daughter Swati were among prominent names flagged during the exercise.
Former Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council Chairman Bibek Debroy also reportedly received a notice because his details were not mapped with previous electoral records, despite his death in 2024.
The Delhi Chief Electoral Office has stated that the notices are part of the claims and objections stage of the electoral roll revision process. Officials said voters receiving notices must submit supporting documents before the Electoral Registration Officer of their respective assembly constituencies.
The verification exercise covers around 97 lakh voters included in the draft electoral roll. Approximately 33 lakh voters were identified for notices due to discrepancies, while more than 31 lakh notices have already been delivered. Officials have said that eligible voters will remain on the electoral roll after successful verification.
The SIR exercise has triggered a wider discussion around voter database management, electoral transparency and the importance of accurate voter records. While election authorities describe the process as a routine verification exercise, the appearance of several high-profile names has increased public interest in how electoral rolls are prepared and updated.
The controversy has also highlighted challenges involved in maintaining large-scale voter databases where even small differences in names, addresses or family details can require additional verification.
The Election Commission will continue examining documents submitted by voters during the claims and objections period. After completing the verification process, the final Delhi electoral roll will be published.
Officials have maintained that the exercise is focused on correcting errors and ensuring that only eligible voters remain registered while protecting genuine voters from wrongful exclusion.
