Citizens Raise Concerns Over Electoral Roll Enumeration in Mumbai and Thane
As the house-to-house enumeration exercise for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) concluded on Monday, several residents across Mumbai, Thane, and Pune raised serious concerns over being omitted from the draft and final electoral rolls. Nearly half of the uncollectable forms recorded during the drive came from the Mumbai, Thane, and Pune regions, with multiple citizens reporting that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) failed to visit their homes.
The enumeration drive began on June 30, requiring citizens to submit forms online or hand over identity proof and documents to visiting BLOs. Ahead of the conclusion of the exercise, the Maharashtra state government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued alerts on social media highlighting the August 17 deadline.
Residents reported contrasting experiences during the drive. A resident of Yari Road in Andheri shared that their BLO was helpful in mapping 2002 data to parents and grandparents. However, the resident noted that family members living in the eastern suburbs were disappointed because their assigned BLO was overwhelmed by the burden of managing too many housing societies and could not answer phone calls.
Other citizens highlighted issues with the distribution and collection of materials. A resident named Nikki stated that BLOs merely dropped off enumeration forms at building gates and directed residents to bring the completed forms to an address located half an hour away. In Naigaon East, a resident named Neelesh stated that no BLO had visited their locality and questioned whether any supervision was in place to track visits and follow up on submissions.
Procedural discrepancies also created confusion among voters. Resident Chandrakant Chaugule expressed anxiety after a BLO stated that 2002 voter details could not be mapped to maternal grandparents, even though the Election Commission confirmed such mapping was permitted. In addition, some citizens voiced concerns regarding data privacy and urged the Election Commission and the BMC to secure records. In Malwani, a resident echoed concerns raised by opposition parties regarding reports that several BLOs were operating out of political party offices or shakhas.
Meanwhile, field workers highlighted the operational pressures of the exercise. A BMC employee working as a BLO stated that the SIR process had been stressful for staff, noting that workers spent their own money and personal time, answered calls at odd hours, and were pulled away from their regular official responsibilities and families.
