Maharashtra pre-SIR voter mapping hits 66.42%, with Gadchiroli highest and cities lagging

Maharashtra has completed 66.42 per cent of pre–Special Intensive Revision (SIR) voter mapping, according to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer. Gadchiroli leads with 90.51 per cent completion, while urban districts including Mumbai Suburban, Pune, and Thane remain below 50 per cent. Officials cite migration and added polling booths as key factors.

Maharashtra had finished 66.42 per cent of pre-Special Intensive Revision (SIR) mapping work, officials said on Tuesday. Gadchiroli led the state with 90.51 per cent completion. Data from the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office showed uneven progress across districts. Out of 9.88 crore voters, about 6.56 crore had been mapped so far.

The CEO data showed urban parts of Maharashtra trailing in this exercise. Mumbai Suburban, Pune and Thane were below 50 per cent progress. Officials linked the slower pace in cities to population movement and more polling booths. Booth numbers rose with population growth, which increased the mapping load for teams.

Pre-SIR mapping work in Maharashtra: districts with top progress

Fourteen districts were in the 80 to 90 per cent completion band. Gadchiroli remained the highest at 90.51 per cent. The 80 to 90 group included Washim 80.76, Latur 80.77, Sangli 81.65, Amravati 81.90, and Nandurbar 83.32. It also covered Nanded 84.06 and Gondia 84.32.

The same band also included Dharashiv 84.62, Parbhani 85.27, Beed 85.31, and Buldhana 85.97. Sindhudurg reached 86.47, while Ratnagiri marked 86.70. Hingoli stood at 89.08, close to the 90 per cent line. Officials said 13 districts were between 70 and 80 per cent.

Pre-SIR mapping work in Maharashtra: slower districts and city gaps

Several districts stayed well below the state’s best performers, according to the CEO figures. Mumbai city was at 51.40 per cent, while Nagpur recorded 55.57 per cent. Raigad stood at 57.80 per cent, and Palghar reached 59.28 per cent. Officials said these numbers highlighted challenges in some large and mixed areas.

Pre-SIR mapping work in Maharashtra: how electoral rolls are checked

The pre-SIR stage requires Block Level Officers to compare the current electoral roll with a voter list prepared in 2002. To clear scrutiny, a current voter’s name must appear in the 2002 list. Officials said the work focused on matching records. It was not a physical verification drive at this stage.

Officials said young voters may face extra checks during scrutiny. Names of many young voters would not be in the 2002 list. Such voters would need to show that their parents names were included in that list. The official added, "We are yet to receive the detailed programme for the physical phase of the SIR. Till then, we will continue mapping the electoral rolls. Until details of the ground exercise are announced, it would be premature to comment on deadlines or proof requirements. Our intention is to minimise inconvenience to voters.\"

With inputs from PTI