Senior Congress leader Gurdeep Singh Sappal, a member of the Congress Working Committee and former Joint Secretary in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, alleged on January 6, 2026, that his name and those of his family members were deleted from the draft electoral roll for Uttar Pradesh under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. In a post on X, Sappal highlighted that his family had been included in the 2003 voter list and in previous elections, but their names were omitted in the current draft due to a shift in residence from Sahibabad Assembly Constituency to Noida. He claimed officials informed him there was no provision in the SIR process to retain names of voters who have shifted addresses, describing this as a major flaw that could affect crores of genuine voters.

The allegation comes amid the Election Commission of India's release of the draft electoral roll, which saw a reduction from 15.44 crore to 12.55 crore voters—a deletion of 2.89 crore names, or about 18.7 percent. According to Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa, the removals primarily include 46.23 lakh deceased voters (2.99 percent), 2.17 crore shifted voters (14.06 percent), and 25.46 lakh duplicates (1.65 percent). The SIR, involving door-to-door verification by booth-level officers, aims to clean legacy inaccuracies in the rolls through intensive enumeration and document checks. The ECI has not issued an official response to Sappal's specific claims as of the latest reports.

Sappal further questioned the practicality of the process, noting that while he could submit Form 6 to re-register his family, many ordinary voters might struggle to navigate the claims and objections period, which runs from January 6 to February 6, 2026. He labeled the situation the "truth of SIR," suggesting it exposes potential disenfranchisement risks, particularly for migrants. Opposition parties, including Congress, have criticized the exercise for disproportionately affecting those who relocate for work, education, or housing, and have formed committees to monitor deletions and conduct verifications. The final electoral roll is scheduled for publication on March 6, 2026.

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The controversy highlights broader debates on voter roll integrity ahead of future elections, including the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. The ECI maintains that the draft is not final, urging affected voters to file claims with supporting documents via the voters.eci.gov.in portal, the ECINET app, or local booth-level officers to ensure inclusion. Affected individuals, including prominent figures like Sappal, can seek reinstatement during this window to protect their voting rights.

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