10.64 pc of Mumbai voters have duplicate entries: SEC data

Mumbai: Nearly 10.64 per cent or more than 11 lakh of Mumbai's 1.03 crore electorate have duplicate enrolments in the electoral roll, as per data shared by the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC).

The data shows that a majority of wards with the highest number of duplicate voters were previously represented by Opposition corporators.

The SEC on Wednesday extended the deadline for submitting objections from November 27 to December 3. The final voters' list will be published on December 10, according to a statement issued by the SEC.

The data shows that 4.33 lakh voters appear more than once in the draft voters' list published last week, with multiple entries ranging from two to as many as 103 times. This has pushed the total number of duplicate enrolments to 11,01,505.

The SEC has attributed the repetition of names to factors such as printing errors, voters’ relocation, and failure to remove the names of deceased persons. Booth-level workers will now conduct field visits, fill forms, and obtain verification undertakings to ensure each voter is listed only once, officials said.

An SEC official indicated that Mumbai's civic elections, slated to be completed by January 31, 2026, as per a Supreme Court directive, may see a slight delay.

Depending on the pace of corrections by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the polls could either be held by the end of January or the SEC may seek an extension to the first week of February, he added.

The SEC data further shows that four of the five wards with the highest number of duplicate voters were previously represented by Opposition corporators from parties such as Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Nationalist Congress Party (SP). Two of these wards fall under the Worli assembly constituency, represented by Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray.

Opposition leaders have alleged irregularities in the ongoing revision of the voters' list.

In a post on X, Aaditya Thackeray has claimed there were "millions" of repeated names, fraudulent household entries, and voter cards lacking basic details.

He warned that refusing to extend the suggestion and objection period would raise doubts about the fairness of the election process.

Worli's ward no. 199, earlier represented by former mayor and Sena (UBT) leader Kishori Pednekar, has the highest number of duplicate voters at 8,207. It is followed by Ghatkopar's ward no. 131 with 7,741 duplicate entries, Parel-Lalbaug's ward 203 with 7,624, Kalachowki's ward 205 with 7,585, and Century Mill's ward 194 with 7,584 duplicate voters, as per the SEC data.

Civic officials, meanwhile, said a drive to delete duplicate names is currently underway.

A senior BMC official clarified that the figure of 11 lakh refers to the number of repeated entries and not individual persons, adding that the municipal corporation is conducting door-to-door checks to cleanse the rolls.

All 25 assistant municipal commissioners have been designated as nodal officers for the rectification exercise, which will run from November 27 to December 5. The final voters’ list is expected to be published thereafter.