SDPI demands gender-wise audit of SIR nationwide, questions ECI over systematic voter exclusions

The data emerging from the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is no longer an isolated concern limited to one state. The sharp decline in women voters seen in Uttar Pradesh reflects a disturbing national trend that points to systemic exclusion in the voter verification process.

As reported, the draft rolls in Uttar Pradesh show a 21.4% drop in women voters, with the gender ratio of regustered voters falling from 877 to 824 women per 1,000 men. Over 1.54 crore women voters have been deleted—far higher than the decline among men. Similar patterns of disproportionate omissions of women, the marginalised, and minorities are being flagged in other states undergoing SIR exercises.

–This makes a gender-wise and social-category-wise audit of SIR a national democratic necessity, not a local demand.

— SDPI appeals to civil society organisations, women’s groups, minority rights collectives, academics, journalists, and legal experts to independently examine SIR electoral rolls across states and document the emerging national trend of omissions affecting women, marginalised communities, and minorities.

Democracy cannot survive selective participation. Electoral rolls must reflect society as it exists—not as power wishes it to be.

SDPI demands:

An immediate nationwide gender-wise and social-category-wise audit of SIR

Public disclosure of deletion data state-wise

Restoration of wrongly deleted voters

Institutional accountability within the ECI