Mumbai Voter List Shows Massive Duplication, Over 10% Names Repeated: SEC

Nearly 10.64% of Mumbai’s total electorate, accounting for over 11 lakh voters out of 1.03 crore, have duplicate registrations on the electoral list, according to data released by the State Election Commission. Several wards with high duplication are those that were earlier represented by Opposition leaders. The SEC has extended the objection submission deadline from November 27 to December 3, and the final list will now be announced on December 10. The data also indicates that 4.33 lakh individuals appear more than once, with repetition ranging from double entries to as many as 103 occurrences in the draft list issued last week.

The commission stated that errors occurred due to printing mistakes, change of residence, and failure to delete names of deceased voters. Officials added that booth-level personnel will conduct inspections, fill verification forms, and ensure no voter appears multiple times. An SEC official also suggested the Mumbai civic elections, scheduled under a Supreme Court directive for completion by January 31, 2026, may be delayed. Depending on how fast corrections are completed, polling may take place by late January or potentially shift to early February if an extension is requested.

According to SEC data, four of the top five wards with the highest duplicate entries were previously governed by Opposition parties like the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Nationalist Congress Party (SP). Two of these are in the Worli constituency represented by Aaditya Thackeray, who alleged massive irregularities and demanded more time for scrutiny. Ward 199 in Worli recorded the highest duplications at 8,207, followed by Ghatkopar, Parel-Lalbaug, Kalachowki, and Century Mill areas. Civic officials clarified that the 11 lakh figure refers to repeated entries, not individuals, and door-to-door verification is underway. The revised final list will follow the ongoing correction drive.