Pune Electorate Falls 31.6% with 28.66 Lakh Voters Missing

The publication of the draft electoral roll under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) on August 31 has resulted in a significant reduction in Pune district's registered electorate. The district's voter base has fallen from 90,80,173 to 62,13,692, a decrease of 31.6%. This reduction is not final, as the election authorities have categorized the missing names and will conduct hearings and document verification from September 1 to September 30.

The largest category of missing voters is those who were untraceable or absent, with 17,83,058 names. This is followed by 5,91,038 voters who had permanently shifted, 3,12,048 voters identified as deceased, and 1,43,975 cases involving duplicate entries.

The impact of this reduction is visible in several major urban constituencies, including Hadapsar, Chinchwad, and Khadakwasala. Hadapsar has seen a reduction of nearly 2.98 lakh voters, from 6,51,473 to 3,53,101. Chinchwad has dropped from 6,87,448 to 4,17,715, while Khadakwasala has fallen from 5,97,114 to 3,19,263.

Other significant reductions include Kothrud, where the electorate has fallen from 4,48,055 to 2,41,194, and Vadgaon Sheri, which has declined from 5,18,754 to 3,14,940. Shivajinagar has recorded one of the sharpest proportional reductions, falling from 2,92,851 to 1,63,261.

In the rural belt, Purandar has dropped from 4,97,770 to 3,10,323, while Shirur has fallen from 4,81,990 to 3,72,111. The scale of the exercise is also evident from the constituency-wise data, with Bhor falling from 4,50,206 to 3,59,351 electors, and Junnar declining from 3,29,754 to 2,82,808.

Deputy District Election Officer, Minal Kalaskar, stated that hearings would be held by the respective Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) for voters whose details in the draft roll are incomplete or incorrect. These hearings and document verification could lead to eligible voters being included in the final roll.

The election authorities had earlier identified 13.32 lakh cases involving unmapped voters and voters flagged for anomalies as requiring closer examination. Hadapsar, Chinchwad, and Khadakwasala had the highest numbers in these two categories. These cases are now particularly important because hearings and document verification could lead to eligible voters being included in the final roll.

The claims and objections process is open till September 30, and voters can verify their details and make necessary corrections during this period. The final electoral roll will be published after the completion of this process.

The reduction in the voter base has significant implications for the upcoming elections. The election authorities must ensure that all eligible voters are included in the final roll, and that the process is transparent and fair.

In conclusion, the publication of the draft electoral roll has resulted in a significant reduction in Pune district's registered electorate. The claims and objections process is currently underway, and voters can verify their details and make necessary corrections till September 30. The final electoral roll will be published after the completion of this process, and it is essential that all eligible voters are included to ensure a fair and transparent election process.