# People’s Audit in Mangolpuri Y-Block Finds 2,800 Voters Wrongly Marked ASDD, Demands Nationwide Electoral Roll Audit

*House-to-house verification of ~9,600 voters shows only 5,800 on draft SIR roll, 2,800 tagged absent/shifted/dead/duplicate, 1,800 missing.*

**Society · 12 Sep 2026 · GS: GS1, GS2 · Exam yield: High**

## Why this matters

The Mangolpuri people’s audit reveals how a routine electoral roll revision can silently exclude thousands, threatening the franchise of marginalised citizens. For UPSC, it fuses GS2 polity (ECI, Article 326) with GS1 social justice, making it a live multi-paper issue.

## In plain words

Every democracy needs an accurate list of who can vote; in India the Election Commission (ECI) periodically cleans this list through a Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Mangolpuri’s Y-Block, a working-class neighbourhood in Delhi, became a test case when citizens decided to check the ECI’s draft revision themselves.

The audit used the 2025 Assembly roll as baseline and visited nearly 10,000 homes across 8 booths. It found only about 5,800 of ~9,600 voters on the draft SIR roll; ~2,800 were tagged ASDD (Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate) though many were present; and ~1,800 vanished from both draft and ASDD lists. The result: over 40% of local names at risk. The exercise showed that without door-to-door verification, eligible citizens can be silently dropped, affecting not just voting but access to pensions and schemes.

Think of the voter list like a school attendance register: if a teacher marks a sitting student ‘absent’ without asking, the student loses lunch privileges. Similarly, wrong ASDD marks deprive citizens of their ballot. Retired judge Justice Lokur noted that Booth Level Officers must make three visits before marking anyone ASDD. The audit demands restoration via Form 8 (correction) not Form 6 (new entry), and a nationwide public audit under ECI’s own 2023 Manual.

## Key facts

- Audit covered ~10,000 voters across 8 booths in Mangolpuri Y-Block using 2025 Assembly roll as baseline
- Of ~9,600 registered, ~5,800 on draft SIR roll, ~2,800 on ASDD list, ~1,800 missing from both
- Public hearing on 5 Sep 2026 with retired SC judge Justice Madan Lokur and others
- Demands restoration via Form 8 not Form 6, social audit per ECI Manual 2023, weekly public hearings

## How we got here

The Election Commission of India (ECI) conducts revision of electoral rolls under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Normally, annual summaries are updated, but a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a deeper cleanse. In Delhi, the roll stood at 1.56 crore on 17 January 2025; by the time SIR began it had already fallen to 1.45 crore, a drop of over 11 lakh. The SIR enumeration phase ended on 17 August 2026, with draft rolls published on 31 August 2026. The ECI’s own Manual on Electoral Rolls (2023) contains social-audit provisions (Para 11.2.4(vi), 24.1.2) requiring draft rolls to be read in Gram Sabha/Ward Committees. Citizen groups—Jan Sarokar, MKSS, Voter Adhikar Manch—invoked these while launching a house-to-house people’s audit in Mangolpuri Y-Block, culminating in a public hearing on 5 September 2026 with Justice Madan Lokur.

## The bigger picture

**Constitutional — Right to Vote and ECI’s Constitutional Mandate**

Article 326 guarantees adult suffrage; the ECI (under Article 324) must maintain accurate rolls. The audit found ~1,800 names missing from both draft and ASDD lists without notice, bypassing due process required by Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. This raises Article 14 and 21 concerns as wrongful deletion silences citizens. The Supreme Court has directed Aadhaar, PAN, prior EPIC as valid ID, yet local BLOs ignored these.

→ Electoral deletion without trail violates due process and constitutional franchise.

**Social — Working-Class Disenfranchisement in Urban Periphery**

Mangolpuri Y-Block is a working-class neighbourhood; the audit covered 1,448 of 1,516 houses. Over 450 voters were found present but tagged ASDD, and 500+ missing from both lists. Such errors disproportionately hit migrants and poor who rely on voter ID for pensions and schemes. The Hindu reported anxiety over loss of welfare access, showing roll errors have social security spillovers beyond polling.

→ Poor localities face highest wrongful deletion, harming welfare entitlements.

**Political — Electoral Integrity and Public Trust**

With Delhi’s draft SIR putting over 40% voters at risk, political trust erodes. The ECI’s figure of 47.5 lakh deletions contrasts with citizen audit finding 1,326 verified registered voters wholly vanished (Frontline cross-check). Opposition and civil society allege arbitrary process; the CEO’s office attributes to uncollectable forms. Transparent public hearings, as demanded, can rebuild confidence in the world’s largest election machinery.

→ Perceived arbitrariness in roll revision undermines democratic legitimacy.

**Ethical — Bureaucratic Accountability and Due Process**

Justice Lokur stressed BLOs must make three visits before marking ASDD, yet audit shows hasty tagging. Ethical public administration requires verification, notice, and hearing—principles in ECI Manual 2023. Wrongful deletion of living persons as ‘dead’ (The Hindu ‘I am not dead’ cases) is a moral failure. Citizens demand action against erring officials, aligning with constitutional values of participation and dignity.

→ No citizen should be deleted without fair procedure and accountability.

## The big debate

**Should mandatory citizen-led social audits be institutionalised within the ECI’s Special Intensive Revision process?**

**For**
- Citizen audits like Mangolpuri expose wrongful ASDD tags and restore excluded voters, enhancing accuracy.
- ECI Manual 2023 already prescribes social audit via Gram Sabha; citizen participation fulfils this.
- Public hearings provide voice to marginalised, strengthening democratic accountability.

**Against**
- ECI is a constitutional body; parallel audits may confuse rolls and delay final publication.
- Volunteer verifications lack official training and could be politically motivated or error-prone.
- Statutory Form 6/8 mechanism with BLOs suffices if implemented with due process.

**The balanced take:** A calibrated model—where citizen audits complement, not replace, ECI’s statutory process under its 2023 Manual, with verified findings fed into claims and objections—can balance electoral integrity with institutional authority.

## Answer it in Mains

**Examine the role of citizen-led audits in strengthening electoral democracy in India. (GS2)** *(GS2)*

How to attack it: Begin with Mangolpuri audit example; contrast ECI statutory revision with citizen-led verification; analyse constitutional franchise and trust dimensions; conclude with synergy via social audit.

Quote this: Jan Sarokar-MKSS audit 2026: 2,800 ASDD, ECI Manual 2023 Para 11.2.4(vi).

**Discuss the challenges in maintenance of electoral rolls and suggest reforms. (GS2)** *(GS2)*

How to attack it: Link Delhi SIR 2026 pre-drop of 11 lakh; highlight ASDD errors; debate Form 8 vs 6; propose mandatory social audit and BLO accountability for reform.

Quote this: Delhi SIR: 1.45 crore base, 47.5 lakh deletions, SC direction on Aadhaar (Lokur 2026).

**How does erroneous deletion from voter lists affect social justice? (GS1)** *(GS1)*

How to attack it: Use working-class Y-Block example to show welfare linkage; argue marginalised groups hit hardest by wrongful deletion; prescribe rights-based redress under ECI Manual 2023.

Quote this: The Hindu 2026: anxiety over pensions, 450 present but tagged dead/absent.

## Prelims quick-fire

- **[Data]** Delhi roll fell from 1.56 crore (Jan 2025) to 1.45 crore at SIR start, drop >11 lakh [ADR 2026]. — *Pre-SIR attrition separate from 47.5 lakh deletions.*
- **[Data]** Mangolpuri Y-Block audit: of ~9,600 voters, ~5,800 on draft, ~2,800 ASDD, ~1,800 missing [ADR 2026]. — *ASDD = Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate.*
- **[Report/Index]** ECI Manual 2023 Para 11.2.4(vi) mandates draft rolls be read in Gram Sabha/Ward [ADR 2026]. — *Social audit clause often unimplemented.*
- **[Body/Institution]** BLOs must make 3 visits before ASDD tagging per rules: Justice Lokur [ADR 2026]. — *BLO = Booth Level Officer.*
- **[Scheme]** Delhi SIR claims deadline 30 Sep 2026, final roll 4 Nov 2026 [ECI via Hindu]. — *Form 6 new, Form 8 correction.*
- **[Data]** Frontline cross-checked 1,326 missing names vs 2025 roll in Mangolpuri; all registered [Frontline 2026]. — *Unexplained omissions beyond ASDD.*
- **[Body/Institution]** Jan Sarokar, MKSS, Voter Adhikar Manch led the people’s audit in Mangolpuri Y-Block [ADR 2026]. — *MKSS pioneered RTI movement.*

## What should happen

1. **Restore wrongly excluded voters via Form 8 correction, not Form 6 new enrolment** Existing electors should retain original EPIC details and avoid burden of proving afresh. *(ECI Manual on Electoral Rolls (2023))*
2. **Implement social audit provisions of ECI Manual 2023 (Para 11.2.4(vi), 24.1.2) by reading drafts in Ward Committees** Mandatory public reading catches omissions early, as envisioned by the Commission itself. *(ECI Manual on Electoral Rolls (2023))*
3. **Enforce BLO three-visit rule and accept Aadhaar/PAN/old EPIC as ID per SC** Prevents arbitrary ASDD tagging and aligns with judicial direction on valid identification. *(Supreme Court direction cited by Justice Lokur (ADR 2026))*
4. **Extend claims/objections deadline beyond 30 Sep 2026 for Delhi SIR** Gives citizens time to challenge errors before final roll publication on 4 Nov.

## Jargon, demystified

- **SIR (Special Intensive Revision)** — Deep cleaning of electoral roll by ECI involving household enumeration, beyond routine annual updates. *(Distinct from annual summary revision.)*
- **ASDD (Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate)** — Category of voters proposed for deletion from roll after BLO finds them unavailable or repeated. *(Four grounds for exclusion in SIR.)*
- **BLO (Booth Level Officer)** — Local official appointed by ECI to verify electors at polling booth level during revisions. *(Must visit thrice before ASDD per Lokur.)*
- **Form 8 (Electoral Roll Correction)** — Prescribed form to correct details or object to entries of existing voters in the roll. *(Audit demands restoration via Form 8 not 6.)*
- **Form 6 (New Enrolment)** — Application form for a person to be newly registered as voter in electoral roll. *(Used for fresh enrolment after deletion.)*
- **ECI (Election Commission of India)** — Constitutional body under Article 324 vested with superintendence of elections and roll preparation. *(Independent authority, but subject to audit calls.)*
- **EPIC (Electors Photo Identity Card)** — Voter ID card issued by ECI serving as proof of enrolment and identity. *(Old EPIC valid ID per SC direction.)*

## Revise in 30 seconds

- Mangolpuri audit: 5,800 draft, 2,800 ASDD, 1,800 missing of ~9,600.
- Delhi roll dropped 11 lakh before SIR even began (1.56 to 1.45 cr).
- Restore via Form 8 not Form 6: key citizen demand.
- ECI Manual 2023 mandates social audit in Gram Sabha/Ward.
- Justice Lokur: BLOs need 3 visits before ASDD tagging.

## Study next

**Static links:** Salient features of Indian Society, Parliament and State Legislatures, Issues relating to development and management of social sector

**Essay angle:** Is the voter list a state document or public trust?

**Interview probe:** If marked dead on roll, what remedies exist under law?

## Sources

- [People’s Audit of SIR in Mangolpuri reveals major gaps in SIR rolls, calls for a nationwide public audit of electoral rolls](https://www.adrindia.org/content/peoples-audit-of-sir-in-mangolpuri-reveals-major-gaps-in-sir-rolls-calls-for-a-nationwide-public-audit-of-electoral-rolls)

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