CHENNAI: The officials have cited migration and residential areas turning commercial as the reasons for the missing of lakhs of voters from the draft list.
A booth-level agent told TNIE, “While a majority of residents in North Chennai own their homes and continue to live in the same locality, many areas in southern and central Chennai are often the first choice for newcomers to the city who later become permanent residents.”
In Villivakkam, deletions include 8,073 deceased voters, 849 duplicate entries, and 82,350 permanently shifted residents. While Kolathur saw the highest number of untraceable or absent voters at 8,812, Villivakkam has 6,474 of such cases.
An election official at Villivakkam said the demolition of Railway Protection Force (RPF) quarters in the area had also impacted the draft rolls.
“Most residents have moved out. Moreover, parts of Mogappair have transformed from residential to commercial area,” she said.
On untraceable voters, the official said many houses in a Villivakkam area were demolished and residents reportedly relocated to Thailavaram.
In Thiyagaraya Nagar constituency, voter numbers dropped from 2,35,497 to 1,39,498, a 40.76% reduction. This included 9,346 deceased voters, 39 untraceable or absent, 85,705 permanently shifted, and 259 duplicate entries. The ERO here declined to comment on the reasons for the drop in names.
In Thousand Lights constituency which recorded a 40.68% reduction, Karunanidhi, CPI District Secretary and a recognised Block Level Agent (BLA), attributed the numbers to the difficulty of verifying voters in high-rise buildings and tenements.
Meanwhile, the ERO of Sholinganallur noted a significant number of voters had shifted to Perumbakkam, a major resettlement area which contributed to the fluctuations in the draft roll.
Velachery also witnessed a 40.16% variation. SK Siva, CPI(M) South Chennai district secretary, told TNIE many daily wage workers were left out because BLOs did not collect forms properly.