SIR in Maharashtra may have deleted 3 crore voters, claims MLA Rohit Pawar
Maharashtra MLA Rohit Pawar has alleged significant irregularities in the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, claiming up to 3 crore voters could be deleted. He accused the commission of centralizing power and relying on non-verified data, potentially disenfranchising millions.
Why it matters
Concerns over the integrity of electoral rolls directly impact the legitimacy of democratic processes and voter representation in India.
Maharashtra MLA Rohit Pawar on Sunday (September 27, 2026) claimed the number of voters deleted in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Maharashtra could rise from the current 2.07 crore to nearly 3 crore, alleging irregularities in the verification process.
Targeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Mr. Pawar at a press conference in Mumbai alleged that electoral powers once exercised at the constituency level had been centralised with the Election Commission, allowing voter names to be added or deleted from Delhi.
Booth-level officers (BLOs) in some places conducted "table surveys" instead of physical verification of voters, and information was being supplied by BJP workers, Mr. Pawar charged.
Such instances had come to light in Pune, Nashik and Thane, he claimed and questioned the lack of action despite complaints being made to election officials.
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