⚡ Key Highlights & Quick Takeaways
- Election officials clarified that the notice is not a voter deletion, but a standard opportunity under the SIR to submit proof and verify eligibility.
- The exercise cross-checks current voters against 2003 electoral records, requiring those whose details do not align to present documentary evidence.
- Names of numerous genuine voters are being deleted on flimsy pretexts,” Dr Gandhi said. “I have lived at this Patiala address since 2000.
Congress MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi, a two-time Lok Sabha member from Patiala, has been served a ‘no-mapping’ notice under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Punjab, as his details could not be matched with the 2003 reference roll.
Election officials clarified that the notice is not a voter deletion, but a standard opportunity under the SIR to submit proof and verify eligibility. The exercise cross-checks current voters against 2003 electoral records, requiring those whose details do not align to present documentary evidence.
Despite the EC’s clarification, the Congress MP expressed resentment over the process, questioning how a permanent resident with a decades-long electoral history could go unmapped.
“I object to this exercise. Names of numerous genuine voters are being deleted on flimsy pretexts,” Dr Gandhi said. “I have lived at this Patiala address since 2000. I have contested three Lok Sabha elections from this very address and won twice. I don’t understand how my name was left unmapped.”
Dr Gandhi and his family appeared before Patiala electoral officials on September 2, submitting age and residence proofs. He is currently awaiting final inclusion in the updated voter list.
Alleging that scores of long-term residents are facing similar hurdles during the revision drive, Dr Gandhi criticised the overall methodology of the verification system.
First elected to the Lok Sabha in 2014, Dr Gandhi contested again in 2019 before reclaiming the Patiala seat on a Congress ticket in 2024. Officials confirmed his case will be decided following full document scrutiny.
Based in Patiala, Karam Prakash is a Senior Correspondent with Hindustan Times, wherefrom, he covers the Malwa region of Punjab. With extensive reporting experience, he writes on a wide range of beats: health, agriculture, power, education, labour, governance and sports. His reporting focuses on public policy, grassroots issues and stories that impact people’s everyday lives. Before taking charge of the Malwa region, Karam had been part of The Tribune’s National Bureau, wherein he covered several Union ministries and parliament reporting on key policy developments at the national level. He also has significant experience in sports journalism, having covered major international sporting events, including the Olympic and the Commonwealth Games.Read More