Only 1.72 crore people from 2002 electoral rolls have been self-mapped in Karnataka SIR exercise

Published 28 July 2026 · india

Only 1.72 crore electors have been matched with their own entries in Karnataka’s 2002 electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR). This indicates

Only 1.72 crore electors have been matched with their own entries in Karnataka’s 2002 electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR). This indicates that a substantial proportion of the 3.5 crore electorate enrolled nearly 24 years ago are no longer on the rolls because of death, migration, multiple entries or other reasons. Data released by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Tuesday showed that as of 6 p.m. on Tuesday, 1,72,17,945 electors, or 31.06% of the State’s current electorate of 5.54 crore, had been self-mapped to their own records in the 2002 electoral rolls. Progeny mapping Another 2,21,63,686 electors (39.98%) were mapped as progeny, meaning their enumeration forms were linked to a parent or family member whose name appeared in the 2002 rolls.

Together, self-mapping and progeny mapping account for nearly 3.94 crore electors, or about 71% of the State’s electorate. Responding to The Hindu on why only 1.72 crore electors had been self-mapped despite the 2002 electoral rolls having a much larger electorate (over 3.5 crore), Chief Electoral Officer V. Anbu Kumar said the Election Commission had not undertaken a separate analysis of the issue. However, he said the difference could largely be attributed to electors who had died, permanently shifted their residence or were otherwise no longer part of the electoral rolls over the past two decades. Nearly 15 lakh dead electors Tuesday’s SIR data lends support to this. So far, 14.67 lakh electors have been identified as deceased, 48.59 lakh as permanently shifted, and 5.38 lakh as already enrolled elsewhere.

In addition, 10.82 lakh electors have been classified as untraceable or absent during verification, while 79.75 lakh electors have been placed under the ASDDO category, comprising enumeration forms that could not be collected during the house-to-house exercise. As many as 28.71 lakh forms (5.18% of the electorate) were categorised as having “no mapping”, indicating that they could not be linked either through self-mapping or progeny mapping. Explaining the mapping process, Mr. Kumar said self-mapping refers to cases where an elector’s present record could be matched with his or her own entry in the 2002 electoral rolls. Progeny mapping, on the other hand, is used for electors who were not voters in 2002 but whose records have been linked to a parent or family member whose name figured in the 2002 rolls.