Mumbai BMC Elections 2025: Draft Voter List Shows 2.25 Lakh Duplicate Entries; Massive Door-to-Door Verification Launched Before Final Roll

by Webdesk
10 Dec 2025

Source: Free Press Journal

Mumbai : The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has uncovered a massive number of duplicate voter entries in the draft electoral roll prepared for the upcoming civic elections. Out of more than eleven lakh duplicate records identified across the city, around 2.25 lakh duplicates were found within individual wards alone. Of these, nearly half—close to 1.12 lakh entries—have already been checked by the administration, and within this verified portion, approximately 41,000 names were confirmed as genuine duplicates residing in the same ward. With so many inconsistencies detected, the civic body has now begun an extensive door-to-door verification drive to ensure accuracy before the publication of the final voter list. Senior officials believe that although the initial number appears extremely high, the final figure of confirmed duplicate voters may eventually reduce to only fifteen to twenty percent of the current total once the physical verification is completed.

The scale of errors in the draft roll became evident when the BMC reported finding more than eleven lakh duplicate entries, including over 4.33 lakh names that appeared multiple times. In one shocking case, the name of a single voter was found repeated 103 times in the records, highlighting the gravity of data discrepancies arising from outdated information, unreported migration, and technical lapses in previous lists. Verification teams working across all twenty-six administrative wards have already validated a significant portion of these entries, though several cases of duplication spread across multiple wards still remain under scrutiny. The civic administration expects that these remaining cases will be resolved within the next three to four days as intensified verification continues.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Dr. Ashwini Joshi stated that the BMC has deployed Booth Level Officers, election personnel, and ward-level officials to physically visit the residences of voters whose names have been marked as duplicates. During these visits, voters are required to fill out Annexure-1 as part of the verification process. In situations where a voter is not present at the time of inspection, officials will paste a notice at the residence instructing the individual to contact the concerned ward office for further clarification. This door-to-door drive has been initiated because a large number of entries flagged as duplicates may be a result of spelling variations, shifting of houses, changes in ward boundaries, or multiple applications submitted by voters over the years.

In addition to internal verification, the BMC also received 11,497 suggestions and objections from citizens regarding the draft voter list. Assistant Municipal Commissioners, who are designated as authorised officers for electoral roll corrections, have resolved 10,668 of these matters, while the remaining 829 cases relate strictly to duplicate entries that are still being examined. Based on the decisions taken during this process, the civic body has started preparing the “Control Chart,” which will determine the final voter list for each ward after all corrections have been incorporated. The completed chart is expected to be submitted to the Maharashtra State Election Commission by Thursday morning, after which the final electoral roll will be readied for publication.

To maintain accuracy and prevent voters from being listed in more than one ward, the BMC has introduced the Control Chart system as a strict monitoring tool. The idea is to ensure that every voter casts their vote only in their rightful ward and that no possibility remains for cross-ward voting. Joint Municipal Commissioner Vishwas Shankarwar explained that wherever the number of voters marked as migrated crosses one hundred in any ward, officials are required to carry out a detailed field survey. This includes visiting each house, building, and settlement in the affected zones and verifying every entry with extreme precision. Teams must follow the exact ward boundaries using Google Maps to avoid confusion or overlap. During these inspections, the officers conducting the verification must document their findings with photographs and certify each step of the process. They are also required to share their live GPS location—including latitude and longitude—while working on the ground to ensure full transparency and eliminate the possibility of manipulation or errors.

The entire verification exercise is being closely monitored because the accuracy of the final voter list will play a crucial role in determining the election schedule for the Mumbai civic body. With the BMC election approaching and increasing political pressure from all sides, the civic administration is racing against time to clean the voter list and ensure that no inaccuracies remain. Once the final list is released, the State Election Commission will move closer to announcing the polling dates, but for now, all eyes remain on the completion of this massive verification effort and the final corrected roll that will shape Mumbai’s upcoming civic election.

Image Courtesy:

02 Jan 2026

BMC Elections

Mumbai BMC Elections 2025: Draft Voter List Shows 2.25 Lakh Duplicate Entries; Massive Door-to-Door Verification Launched Before Final Roll

Related News

BMC Election: किती उमेदवारांचे अर्ज वैध, किती बाद? मुंबई महापालिकेत अखेर कितीजण मैदानात?

मुंबईकरांसाठी मोठी घोषणा: १० रुपयांचा नाश्ता आणि महिलांना १५०० रुपये, ज्युनिअर ठाकरेंचा महामेगाप्लान उघड

BMC निवडणूक: ठाकरे बंधूंची 227 उमेदवारांची अंतिम यादी जाहीर! तुमच्या प्रभागातून कोण मैदानात? पाहा सविस्तर

Mumbai civic polls: NCP to approach State Election Commission, alleges bias favouring BJP–Shiv Sena candidates