BHUBANESWAR: In the run-up to the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Odisha from next month, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed a special summary revision (SSR) of the voter list in Nuapada Assembly constituency where by-election will be conducted soon.
The bypoll has been necessitated by the death of sitting MLA from BJD Rajendra Dholakia. The 69-year-old former minister passed away while undergoing treatment for kidney-related ailments at a private hospital in Chennai on September 8. The bypoll has to be conducted within six months.
The ECI has asked the chief electoral officer (CEO) to carry out the revision of the voter list as per section 21 of the Representation of the People’s Act, 1950 with reference to July 1, 2025 as the qualifying date. The CEO is set to begin the process with rearrangement or modification of polling stations on Sunday and publication of the draft electoral roll on Monday.
Sources said after the publication of the draft electoral roll, the claims and objections from all eligible citizens will be accepted from September 15 to 29, and after processing of such objections, if any, inclusion/deletions or correction of entries will be carried out with due procedure.
The CEO has fixed October 7 as the cut-off date for disposal of claims and objections on the voter list. Discrepancies if identified during the pre-revision activities will be taken-up and corrective measures initiated during this period. “All the inclusions, deletions and corrections carried out during the revision period will be updated in the electoral roll database and the final list will be published on October 9,” said an official associated with the SSR.
As per 2024 general elections data, Nuapada Assembly seat has 2,42,667 voters, including 1,19,850 men, 1,22,794 women and 23 transgenders. It has 302 polling stations.