Gangtok:
The Draft Electoral Roll prepared under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2026 was handed over to representatives of recognised political parties on Sunday, with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Sikkim, outlining the next phase of verification and appeals. He assured that no eligible voter would lose the right to vote without due process.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Chief Electoral Officer Raj Yadav said, “The house-to-house survey commenced on June 20 and was completed on June 28. I would like to thank all the Booth Level Officers for completing this task on time. The draft electoral roll was prepared between June 28 and July 5, and today we have shared it with all recognised political parties. The entire data has also been uploaded to the CEO website so that the general public can access and verify it.”
Giving an overview of the draft roll, Yadav said, “Approximately 37,000 voters have been deleted, while around 43,000 new voters have been added to the electoral roll. Citizens can verify both the Deletion List and the Absentee, Shifted, Dead, and Duplicate (ASDD) list through the QR Code. I request the media to circulate this QR Code widely so that every voter can check their status.”
The State currently has 4,71,018 electors, of whom 4,69,679 enumeration forms (99.72%) have been distributed. So far, 4,33,294 forms (91.99%) have been digitised and verified, while 37,724 electors (8.01%) remain uncollectable.
District-wise figures show Gangtok has the highest strength of electorate with 1,22,240 voters, followed by Namchi (1,10,651), Pakyong (83,111), Soreng (62,276), Gyalshing (60,435) and Mangan (32,305). Gangtok also recorded the highest percentage of uncollectable forms at 11.63%, while Gyalshing recorded the lowest at 6.11%.
Highlighting measures taken to strengthen the electoral process, Yadav said, “We have added 53 new polling stations, bringing the number of electors to below 1,200 per polling station. Multiple AEROs and EROs have also been appointed to ensure smooth hearings and proper document verification. Three Roll Observers have been assigned, each looking after two districts.”
On transparency, he added, “Directions were issued to Booth Level Officers to hold meetings with Booth Level Agents and upload the minutes online. The exact number of additions and deletions at every polling station has to be discussed, and physical deletion lists will also be displayed in Panchayat Ghars.”
Speaking about the notice process, Yadav said, “Around 38,000 notices will be issued to people whose names are missing from the 2002 electoral roll, while more than 50,000 notices will go to people whose records contain anomalies such as surname mismatches. Altogether, nearly 88,000 to 90,000 notices are expected to be issued.”
He warned that recipients must respond within the prescribed period.
“If a citizen receives a notice, it is their responsibility to appear before the ERO or AERO and submit valid documents. Failure to do so during the notification period will result in permanent deletion of their name from the electoral roll,” he said.
Yadav clarified that 12 prescribed documents have been notified for verification under the Special Intensive Revision and urged the media to publicise them.
Reassuring voters whose names may be missing from the draft roll, he said, “There is no need to panic. Anyone whose name is missing can simply submit a fresh Form 6 with the prescribed documents through the BLO. If the documents are found valid, the name will be added.”
He also announced special camps on July 11-12 and July 25-26, where Booth Level Officers will receive Form 6 (new inclusion), Form 7 (objections/deletion), Form 8 (corrections) and other claims.
On possible deletions after hearings, Yadav clarified, “Approximately eight per cent of voters have already been deleted because they failed to submit the required forms. Out of the 90,000 people receiving notices, we estimate that five to ten per cent, roughly 10,000 voters, could eventually face deletion if they fail to produce valid documents. However, this is only a projection, and the final figure may be higher or lower.”
Meanwhile, Sikkimese Mulniwasi Suraksha Sangh (SMSS) President Ratnalal Sapkota welcomed the Special Intensive Revision but called for stricter scrutiny during hearings.
“The Sikkimese people have been fighting against illegal voters for many years, and we were happy when the Special Intensive Revision began. The Election Department now has an opportunity to correct mistakes committed in the past,” he said.
Expressing concern over applications submitted using a grandfather’s credentials, Sapkota said, “If the grandfather’s details are available, then the father’s details should also exist. It makes no sense to bypass the father unless there are exceptional circumstances. Every such case must undergo a detailed hearing by the EROs and AEROs.”
He also demanded strict verification of applications submitted through a husband’s or mother’s credentials.
“A foreign woman marrying a Sikkimese man cannot automatically become a voter merely based on a marriage certificate. The legal process has to be followed. Similarly, applications submitted through the mother’s credentials must also be thoroughly verified to ensure complete authenticity,” he said.
Acknowledging that genuine citizens may also receive notices because of system-generated discrepancies, Sapkota remarked, “Thousands of people registering through their mothers are genuine citizens, but there may also be fraudulent cases. That is precisely why hearings are necessary-to separate genuine voters from illegal ones.”
Appealing to the public to actively participate in the revision process, he said, “People should come forward and file Form 7 wherever they know there is an illegal voter. Genuine citizens should never be harassed, but fraudulent entries must not remain in the electoral roll. We will also request the Chief Electoral Officer to ensure protection for those who file objections.”
Calling the timeline adequate, Sapkota added, “Sikkim has only around 4.7 lakh voters. If larger states like Bihar and West Bengal can complete similar revisions within a month, then thirty days is sufficient for Sikkim as long as the work is carried out with complete accuracy.”
