Bhubaneswar, 20 April (H.S.): The Chief Electoral Officer, Odisha has assured that any voter names removed from the electoral rolls by mistake will be reinstated after due verification.

Addressing a press conference, Chief Electoral Officer R. Santhagopalan clarified that the recent communication issued by the Home Department is part of a routine process and is aimed solely at ensuring proper verification of voter data.

He noted that, on average, between 7 lakh and 9 lakh voter names are deleted annually in Odisha due to reasons such as death, migration, or duplication. However, the number of deletions has been slightly higher this year, prompting authorities to undertake additional verification measures.

Reiterating the administration’s commitment to electoral accuracy, the CEO stated that any genuine voter whose name may have been wrongly removed will be added back to the rolls following proper checks.

He also stated that, compared to several other states, the number of deletions in Odisha remains relatively lower.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda