Draft electoral roll for Puducherry published, claims and objections open till January 15

Puducherry, Dec 16 The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday published the Draft Electoral Roll for the Union Territory of Puducherry as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, reaffirming its commitment to a transparent, participative and inclusive revision of voter lists.

The draft rolls were published and booth-wise printed, and digital copies have been provided to all recognised political parties and made available on the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) website.

Booth-wise lists of electors reported as deceased, permanently migrated, shifted or duplicated, whose names do not appear in the draft roll, have also been displayed at Panchayat Bhavans, urban local body offices and Block Development Offices to enable public verification.

The Commission has opened the claims and objections period from December 16, 2025, to January 15, 2026, during which electors and political parties can seek inclusion of eligible voters or deletion of ineligible names.

A total of 30 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and 30 Assistant EROs are in place to scrutinise such claims, with additional AEROs being appointed to facilitate the process.

As part of the SIR, Puducherry recorded overwhelming participation. Out of a total electorate of 10,21,578, more than 9,18,111 electors submitted Enumeration Forms during the enumeration phase.

The ECI said the exercise saw active involvement of officials, volunteers and political parties across both districts. Some electors were not included in the draft roll as they were found enrolled in other states or union territories, were not traceable, failed to submit forms by the December 11 deadline, or were unwilling to register.

The ECI clarified that genuine electors can still be added during the claims and objections period. Names found enrolled at multiple places will be retained only at one location. To ensure no eligible elector is left out, BLOs conducted door-to-door visits with multiple follow-ups, while Electoral Registration Officers held meetings with political parties and shared tentative lists of uncollectable forms for field verification by Booth Level Agents (BLAs).

The number of BLAs increased significantly from 888 at the start of SIR to 2,729, reflecting heightened political participation.

Special enrolment camps were organised across all polling stations in late November.

The ECI also rationalised polling stations, increasing their number from 962 to 1,099 by capping electors per station at 1,200, a move aimed at improving voter convenience and queue management.

The ECI reiterated that no deletion will be made without due process, including notice and a reasoned order, and said the final electoral roll will be published on February 14, 2026.

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