Guwahati: A total of 737 Meitei voters from the Churachandpur Assembly constituency have reportedly been left out of the draft electoral roll published after the enumeration phase of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Manipur, raising concerns over the revision process.
According to the draft roll, the omitted voters have been marked under categories such as “Missing,” “Absent,” “Dead,” and “Shifted Residence.” The exclusions have drawn attention, as many members of the Meitei community were displaced from Churachandpur following the ethnic violence that erupted in Manipur in May 2023.
The reported omissions have triggered concerns among affected families and community members, who fear they could lose their voting rights if the names are not restored before the final electoral roll is published. Many of those excluded are believed to be internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have been living outside Churachandpur since the outbreak of the conflict.
The Special Intensive Revision is being carried out by the Election Commission to update electoral rolls ahead of future elections by verifying the eligibility and current residence of voters. The exercise involves door-to-door verification and scrutiny of voter details before the publication of the final electoral roll.
The omission of a significant number of voters from a constituency affected by prolonged ethnic unrest is expected to add to the ongoing debate over electoral representation and the challenges faced by displaced communities in Manipur. Authorities are likely to examine claims and objections filed during the revision process before finalising the electoral roll.