Nearly 33 lakh in Delhi may get notice to prove eligibility as SIR enters next phase

Delhi will notify nearly 33 lakh electors to prove their eligibility as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) moves into the next phase, according to sources. The notices will ask recipients to provide one of 13 documents, such as a birth certificate, passport, caste certificate or permanent residence certificate. These notifications account for 34% of the 97 lakh electors who submitted forms during the SIR's enumeration phase.

After door-to-door visits by booth level officers, their forms are uploaded to the Election Commission's portal. The Chief Electoral Office also recently announced the expansion of polling stations in Delhi, increasing them from 13,033 to 14,947 to ensure each station has around 1,200 electors. When the SIR began in June, Delhi had 1.45 crore names on its electoral rolls.

Around 47 lakh electors' forms were marked uncollectible, including those who are absent, have shifted, died, have duplicate entries, or fall under other reasons. Of the 33 lakh electors receiving notices, 14 lakh are expected to receive them due to linking issues with the 2002 SIR roll or anomalies in enumeration forms. These anomalies include mismatched names, age gaps between electors and parents, and sibling birth dates.

The notice phase will last until October 29, with the final electoral rolls published on November 4. The Election Officer, typically a sub-divisional magistrate, may request additional documents to verify age and citizenship, as Aadhaar alone is insufficient.