Using artificial intelligence-based software, the SEC identified around one crore voters whose names appear in multiple places, often due to recent boundary changes. The state government’s expansion of municipal corporations and councils, along with the creation of new Nagar Panchayats, has placed several villages under overlapping jurisdictions. This has resulted in thousands of residents appearing on both municipal and Panchayat voter lists.
Despite receiving district-wise data on duplicate entries, most District Magistrates (DMs) and Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) serving as District and Electoral Registration Officershave shown little urgency in addressing the issue. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have also been reluctant to verify and delete the entries, citing workload and procedural complexities.
Concerned over the lack of progress, State Election Commissioner Raj Pratap Singh has called a video conference with all District Magistrates to review the situation and push for faster action. “Verification of duplicate names must be done through on-ground checks. Names cannot be deleted without physical verification,” Additional Commissioner Akhilesh Mishra emphasized.
The Commission had initially issued a voter list revision schedule in July, setting October 7 to November 24 for preparing the computerized draft lists. However, due to administrative delays, the timeline was revised to October 14–November 24. Officials now fear it may be difficult to publish the final list by the target date of January 15, 2026, unless district-level work accelerates significantly.
According to SEC insiders, the slow progress could force another revision of the schedule, potentially delaying the start of the election process. “The Commission is monitoring the situation closely, but the pace of voter verification remains far from satisfactory,” said a senior official.
Meanwhile, the SEC has written to the state government, requesting the early conduct of the reservation lottery for Panchayat posts. The Panchayati Raj Department must finalize the reservation of seats for district panchayat presidents, block chiefs, gram pradhans, and other members before the Commission can move ahead with the election notification.
The issue of how Block Chiefs and District Panchayat Presidents will be elected has also sparked a political debate. While Panchayati Raj Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar has advocated for direct elections by the public, the SEC maintains that such a move would require a constitutional amendment. “As of now, elections will be held through the existing system where members elect the heads,” said Additional Commissioner Mishra.
The Commission’s current timetable includes publishing the provisional draft voter list on December 5, inviting claims and objections from December 6–12, and resolving them by December 19. The final voter list is scheduled for publication on January 15, 2026.
Officials maintain that despite the challenges, efforts are underway to ensure elections are conducted on time. “Once we receive instructions from the government regarding board exams, police deployment, and logistics, the process will proceed as planned,” Mishra confirmed.
However, with one crore duplicate entries yet to be verified and deleted, the task ahead remains formidable and the clock is ticking for Uttar Pradesh’s Panchayat election machinery
