Bhubaneswar, April 20: The Odisha Government’s Home (Elections) Department has ordered stringent verification of voter deletions following widespread complaints that many genuine and living voters were wrongly removed from electoral rolls.

As per official communication, nearly 9.8 lakh names have been deleted by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) since the elector mapping process began. However, authorities have received numerous complaints highlighting irregularities, including cases where voters were found to be alive and instances where Booth Level Officers (BLOs) allegedly failed to conduct field verification before deleting names.

In response, the department has directed that around 2 lakh Form-7 applications received after April 2, 2026, be kept on hold as per instructions from the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Odisha.

The government has mandated that deletion of deceased voters must only occur after thorough verification, with Form-7 submissions required from family members or relatives. Authorities must also notify voters if their names are removed. Physical verification has been made compulsory in at least 50% of cases, and BLOs have been instructed to carry out proper ground-level checks.

The unusual spike in deletions—well above the annual average of 7 lakh—has raised serious concerns, prompting tighter oversight and immediate corrective measures by the Election Department.

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