Maharashtra SIR Mapping Reaches 64.4%, Urban Areas Lag Behind

Mumbai: The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) mapping of electoral rolls in Maharashtra has reached 64.4 per cent coverage, with 6.36 crore electors mapped out of 9.88 crore, according to the latest report of the State branch of the Election Commission of India (ECI). The SIR exercise is expected to be undertaken in Maharashtra after the declaration of the West Bengal Assembly election results, which means the fate of the remaining 3.52 crore voters will hang in the balance if they are not identified by the ECI before the SIR begins.

The mapping data highlights sharp regional disparities, with metropolitan districts recording slower progress compared to rural and semi-urban regions. Around one lakh booths and an equal number of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are engaged in mapping existing voters with the earlier SIR roll. The process is expected to be expedited by roping in more BLOs in urban areas.

The State branch of the ECI has begun mapping existing voters by linking their records with the 2002 electoral rolls, the last time an SIR was conducted. Electors whose names appear in the 2002 rolls will not be required to submit additional documents to prove their Indian citizenship for voter eligibility. As part of this process, the State branch is carrying out a pre-revision mapping exercise through online verification. In cases where voters’ antecedents are not traceable in the 2002 rolls, verification will be conducted through door-to-door visits by BLOs.

Officials said that while earlier there was one booth per area, as in 2002, population growth — particularly in urban centres — has led to the creation of multiple booths in many Assembly constituencies.

Officials said mapping remains poor in cities such as Mumbai, Mumbai Suburb, Thane and Pune, as voters within Assembly constituencies have moved from one place to another. As a result, mapping in these districts is below 50 per cent. “A high degree of migration has emerged as a key factor behind the low mapping rate, compounded by a shortage of BLOs in Mumbai and Mumbai Suburb,” an official said. Mumbai’s mapping progress has been particularly affected due to large-scale population movement both within the city and from outside.

To address the issue of limited manpower, municipal corporations have been directed to augment the number of BLOs. “To this end, the civic body will provide training to the BLOs for SIR,” the official said.

An official involved in the mapping process attributed the slower progress in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) to high migration. “Frequent movement of voters leads to mismatch of addresses. Once the SIR is rolled out, BLOs will provide forms to those whose names are not mapped. Voters will need to show their name or their ancestors’ name in any previous SIR roll in the country to be included in the proposed roll,” the official said.

Mapping progress varies widely across districts. Nagpur, Palghar and Raigad show moderate coverage between roughly 50 per cent and 57 per cent, while Nashik and Dhule have reached around 64 per cent and nearly 70 per cent, respectively.

A substantial group of districts — including Kolhapur, Solapur, Aurangabad, Jalgaon, Ahmednagar, Satara, Sangli and Latur — fall within the 70–80 per cent range, indicating steady advancement.

Several districts have surpassed the 80 per cent mark, notably Amravati, Nanded, Osmanabad, Beed, Ratnagiri and Hingoli, while the tribal district of Gadchiroli leads with over 90 per cent mapping, the highest in the State.

With over one-third of electors yet to be mapped, officials are expected to intensify the drive in the coming weeks to ensure comprehensive electoral roll verification ahead of the forthcoming SIR.

A senior official from the State branch of the ECI, requesting anonymity, said the current exercise involves matching existing voters with the previous SIR rolls of 2002. “So far, we have completed more than 64 per cent mapping. We have asked the Municipal Commissioners and District Collectors to expedite the mapping process of the remaining voters,” he said.