Shillong, July 31: Nearly 1.8 lakh electors in Meghalaya have been identified as absent, shifted, deceased or duplicate (ASDD) during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state’s electoral rolls, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) BDR Tiwari said on July 30.
The revision exercise, conducted through house-to-house verification by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) between June 30 and July 29, covered all eligible voters across the state. Enumeration forms were distributed and collected through both physical and digital modes.
According to the CEO, 1,80,404 electors, representing 7.68 per cent of the state’s electorate, were classified under the ASDD category. This includes 81,490 deceased voters, 45,013 electors who failed to submit their enumeration forms, 42,532 who had permanently shifted, 4,668 who declined to complete the forms, and 6,701 duplicate enrolments.
The Election Department said the SIR exercise achieved 100 per cent coverage, with all 23,49,645 registered electors submitting their enumeration forms.
Official data showed that 7,75,337 electors, accounting for 33 per cent of the electorate, were directly matched with the 2005 SIR database. A further 11,69,670 electors, or 49.78 per cent, were linked as progeny through the records of their parents or guardians.
However, 2,24,234 electors, representing 9.54 per cent of the total electorate, could not be linked to the 2005 database and have been placed in the “No Mapping” category.
The Election Department said these cases will be examined during the claims and objections period scheduled from August 5 to September 3 before any decision is taken regarding their electoral status.
Tiwari thanked political parties for their cooperation, stating that the involvement of Booth Level Agents (BLAs) enhanced transparency and public participation throughout the revision process. He also acknowledged the contribution of election officials, village authorities, Nokmas, community leaders, civil society organisations, the media and the public in successfully completing the exercise.
The department will now undertake verification of electors listed under the “No Mapping” and ASDD categories ahead of the publication of the draft electoral roll on August 5, in accordance with the Election Commission of India’s schedule.
