Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 9: The combined voter base of Mizoram, Odisha, Manipur and Sikkim has declined by nearly 22 lakh following the publication of draft electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, according to official data.

The four states had a combined electorate of 3.68 crore before the revision process. Following the publication of the draft rolls over the past few days, the number has fallen to 3.46 crore.

Odisha recorded the largest reduction, with 20.11 lakh names omitted from the draft electoral roll.

However, election authorities have clarified that individuals whose names are missing from the draft rolls can still apply for inclusion before the final electoral rolls are published later this year.

Mizoram, Odisha, Manipur and Sikkim are among the 16 states and three Union Territories where the Election Commission is conducting the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in a phased manner.

When Phase 3 of the SIR exercise commenced on May 14, the combined electorate across the 16 states and three Union Territories stood at 36.73 crore.

Ahead of the SIR exercise in Bihar, Election Commission officials had claimed that field-level functionaries had identified several nationals from Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar during the revision process.

However, the Commission did not subsequently release data or evidence regarding the number of such individuals who were allegedly ineligible for inclusion in the state's electoral rolls.

Opposition parties have criticised the exercise, alleging that the Election Commission's claims were intended to justify the revision process and target voters perceived to be opposed to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies.