Why 1.59 Lakh Voters Were Deleted from Manipur’s Draft Electoral Rolls in the SIR 2026

Manipur’s electoral rolls have become the centre of intense discussion after the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) led to the deletion of approximately 1.59 lakh voters from the draft rolls published on July 5, 2026. Out of 20.93 lakh electors before the exercise, only 19.34 lakh names appeared in the draft list — a reduction of 1,58,677 voters, or about 7.58 percent.

While the ECI describes the exercise as a routine clean-up to remove duplicates, deceased persons, and those who have permanently shifted, data analysis reveals a striking pattern: tribal (ST) constituencies in the hill districts bore a disproportionately high share of the deletions. This has raised concerns about the impact of ongoing ethnic conflict, displacement, and documentation challenges on democratic representation in India’s Northeast.

What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)?

The SIR is a comprehensive, house-to-house verification drive conducted by the Election Commission to update and purify electoral rolls. It involves Booth Level Officers (BLOs) distributing partially pre-filled enumeration forms to every elector. Voters must verify their details and submit the forms. The process references older “clean” rolls (often from 2005 or similar base years) and uses field verification to identify ineligible entries.

In Manipur, the SIR began with May 2026 announcements and used July 1, 2026, as the qualifying date. Across 2,956 polling booths, 2,956 BLOs, supported by supervisors and volunteers, distributed forms to all 20.93 lakh electors. By June 28, 92.42 percent (19.34 lakh) forms were collected and digitized. The remaining 7.58 percent (1.58 lakh) were marked uncollectable and excluded from the draft roll.

The goal, according to officials, is to ensure “no eligible voter is left out and no ineligible person is included.” Political parties were briefed, awareness campaigns were run, and special arrangements were made for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in relief camps.

Breakdown of the 1.59 Lakh Deletions

Chief Electoral Officer Arun Kumar Sinha provided the following key reasons for the uncollectable forms:

• 43,000 electors identified as deceased.
• 7,394 found enrolled at multiple places (duplicates).
• The remaining majority (~1.08 lakh) marked as permanently shifted, absent (BLOs could not trace them at the registered address), or those who did not submit filled forms by the deadline.

Some unofficial breakdowns circulating on social media mention additional categories such as inability to match with 2005 records or relatives not found, but official statements focus on the above routine reasons common to electoral roll revisions across India.

The draft electoral roll now stands at 19,34,399 voters: 9,40,466 males, 9,93,660 females, and 294 third gender electors.

The Disproportionate Impact on Tribal Constituencies

The most contentious aspect of Manipur’s SIR data is the constituency-wise skew. Manipur has 60 Assembly constituencies — 19 reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) in the hill areas (predominantly Kuki-Zo and Naga communities) and 41 general (mostly in the Imphal Valley, including one SC-reserved seat).

Analysis of booth-wise deletion lists published by the CEO’s office shows:

• The 19 ST constituencies accounted for only 37.8 percent of the total electorate but 64.2 percent (approximately 1.02 lakh) of all deletions.
• The 41 general constituencies represented 62.2 percent of voters but only 35.8 percent (~56,850) of deletions.

In simple terms, for every voter deleted in the valley/general areas, roughly two were deleted in the hill/ST areas. This reduced the share of ST voters in the overall electorate by about 2.1 percentage points.

Deletion rates were especially high in certain ST constituencies:

• Thanlon (Pherzawl district): 27.2 percent (highest in the state).
• Henglep (Churachandpur): 25.9 percent.
• Singhat (Churachandpur): 24.8 percent.
• Saikot (Churachandpur): 21.2 percent.

Twelve of the 19 ST constituencies alone contributed over 51.7 percent of total state deletions, with heavy concentration around Churachandpur district — an epicentre of the ethnic conflict.

Why the Skew? Conflict, Displacement, and Documentation Issues

Manipur has been in turmoil since ethnic violence erupted in May 2023 between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities. The clashes have killed over 250 people and displaced around 60,000. Many families fled their homes in the hills, moving to relief camps within the state or outside Manipur entirely.

In ST constituencies, 76.1 percent of deletions were recorded as “Permanently Shifted or Absent,” compared to 53.9 percent in general constituencies. “Death” accounted for a much smaller share (18.9 percent) in tribal areas versus 41.9 percent in the valley.

Experts and observers point to several contributing factors:

• Significant displacement making it difficult for BLOs to locate voters at old addresses.
• Lack of updated documentation due to repeated rounds of conflict and sudden migration.
• Urbanisation trends since the last major intensive revision in 2005.
• Challenges for those displaced outside the state, as enumeration forms were primarily provided to IDPs in official relief camps.

Academic Kham Khan Suan Hausing noted that urbanisation and documentation gaps from conflict likely played a role. Former diplomat Gautam Mukhopadhaya highlighted the absence of provisions for people displaced outside Manipur.

Official Response and What Voters Can Do Now

The Chief Electoral Officer’s office and the ECI maintain that the process was transparent and participatory. Enumeration forms were given to IDPs in camps through nodal officers. No name was deleted without verification, and political parties were kept informed throughout.

Crucially, the exercise is not over. The claims and objections period runs from July 5 to August 4, 2026. Genuine electors whose names are missing or incorrectly deleted can file claims for inclusion using Form 6 along with the required declaration. BLOs, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), and helpdesks are available across districts.

The final electoral roll will be published on September 6, 2026, after disposal of all claims and objections (disposal window up to September 2).

Voters can check the draft roll on the CEO Manipur website (ceomanipur.nic.in) or the ECI voter portal, contact their BLO, or visit district election offices. Helpline: 1950.

Broader Implications for Manipur’s Democracy

Electoral rolls directly affect representation in the 60-member Manipur Legislative Assembly. With ST constituencies already sensitive due to the ongoing conflict and demands for various protections, a sharp drop in registered voters in hill areas could influence political discourse, delimitation debates, and perceptions of fairness.

While the ECI’s nationwide push for cleaner rolls is standard practice (similar deletions occurred in Odisha and other states in the same phase, mostly for routine reasons), Manipur’s unique conflict context has amplified concerns about potential disenfranchisement of displaced eligible citizens.

The coming weeks will be critical. How effectively claims are processed and how many deleted voters successfully re-enrol will determine whether the final rolls restore balance or deepen existing divides.

For now, the message from election authorities is clear: every eligible citizen still has the opportunity — and responsibility — to verify their name and secure their vote before the final list is frozen in September.

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