The publication of Arunachal Pradesh’s final electoral roll has triggered fresh controversy amid the ongoing debate surrounding the Election Commission of India (ECI) and questions over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. According to the final electoral roll released on Tuesday, the state’s total voter count stands at 6.96 lakh, representing a reduction of 1.91 lakh electors compared to the pre-revision figures.
The final list includes 343,709 male voters, 352,315 female voters, and two third-gender electors. The most significant change has been recorded in the Itanagar Assembly constituency. While the constituency had 63,995 registered voters in the 2024 electoral roll, the number has now fallen sharply to just 20,243. According to the administration, a large number of duplicate entries were removed as many voters had been registered multiple times across different parts of the state. Many of these voters, despite being enrolled in Itanagar, reportedly cast their votes in their native districts.
Papum Pare district now has a total of 50,867 registered voters across its three Assembly constituencies.
Changlang district has also witnessed substantial voter deletions. According to data from the District Election Officer’s office, 15,007 names were removed from the electoral rolls across the district’s five Assembly constituencies, amounting to a decline of 21.03 percent. As a result, the district’s total electorate has been reduced to 56,363.
Particular attention has been drawn to the Bordumsa-Diyun Assembly constituency, the only unreserved seat in the district. The constituency has a significant population of non-native residents as well as members of the Chakma and Hajong communities. The number of voters there dropped from 23,012 to 15,663 following the deletion of 7,439 names, representing a decline of 32.33 percent.
The Miao Assembly constituency also recorded a significant reduction, with 4,473 voters removed from the rolls. The largest deletions were reported at the M’Pen-I and Dharmapur polling stations. At M’Pen-I, 614 out of 631 registered voters were deleted, while 572 out of 602 electors were removed from the rolls at Dharmapur.
Last September, a dispute over voter eligibility emerged between the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) and members of the Chakma community. AAPSU had stated that it would not accept the inclusion of Chakmas in the state’s electoral rolls.
Citizens dissatisfied with the final electoral roll may file an appeal before the District Election Officer within 15 days of its publication. If the appeal is rejected, a second appeal can be submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer within 30 days of the district authority’s decision.
