UP Voter List Row: 'Big Conspiracy' Alleged As 2.89 Crore Names Deleted In Draft List

The release of the draft voter list in Uttar Pradesh has sparked a major political row after the Election Commission of India (ECI) deleted approximately 2.89 crore names. Out of nearly 16 crore voters in the state, 12.55 crore submitted enumeration forms under the Self-Identification Registry (SIR) process. Opposition parties, including the Congress and Samajwadi Party, have termed the exercise a 'big conspiracy' and accused the ECI of mass removals without adding new voters. A speaker noted, 'The purpose of the SIR was never to enlist genuine voters,' alleging that the system was intentionally complicated to exclude eligible citizens. The Samajwadi Party further claimed that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) faced undue pressure during the survey, leading to health crises and fatalities. However, the ECI maintained that the list is merely a draft and citizens can verify deletion reasons on the official website, dismissing the allegations as baseless and asserting that mass removals are not being conducted.