MZP disputes Mizoram CEO's SIR claims, flags sharp voter surge in Chakma villages

Mizoram's influential student body, the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) on July 8 challenged Chief Electoral Officer Garima Gupta's assertion that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2026 has not detected any abnormal growth in the state's electoral roll, alleging significant increases in voter numbers in Chakma-majority villages.

Addressing reporters in Aizawl, MZP leaders said their analysis of the draft electoral roll published on July 4 revealed unusually high voter growth in several Chakma-dominated villages in southern Mizoram, contradicting the CEO's assessment.

The organisation claimed that while Chakma-majority villages registered voter increases ranging from 50 to 376 per cent, Mizo-majority villages in the same region recorded comparatively modest growth of 10 to 20 per cent.

Citing Sumasumi village in Lunglei district as an example, the MZP said the number of electors had risen from 52 in the 2005 electoral roll to 248 in the latest draft roll, representing a 376.92 per cent increase.

According to the student body, seven Chakma-majority villages recorded voter growth exceeding 200 per cent, while 16 villages registered increases of more than 100 per cent. It said its study covered 95 villages, with over 30 showing increases of more than 50 per cent.

Questioning the Election Department's assessment, the MZP alleged that the SIR exercise had not been monitored adequately and urged Chief Electoral Officer Garima Gupta to personally oversee the revision process until all discrepancies are resolved.

The organisation also flagged alleged deficiencies in electoral mapping across five Assembly constituencies and appealed to election officials to exercise heightened vigilance during the ongoing Claims and Objections period, which runs from July 4 to August 4, when applications for inclusion, deletion and correction of electoral roll entries are being scrutinised.

The MZP's remarks came days after Gupta said the Special Intensive Revision had not revealed any abnormal growth in voter numbers or evidence of foreign nationals being included in Mizoram's electoral roll.

Earlier this week, political parties in the state also resolved that names lacking linkage to the 2005 Special Intensive Revision records should be deleted from the draft electoral rolls after due verification. They further called for all doubtful entries to be thoroughly examined in coordination with civil society organisations and NGOs.

According to the Election Department, the SIR exercise found that enumeration forms of 46,163 voters—5.28 per cent of the 2025 electorate—could not be collected. These included 21,295 deceased voters, 13,978 who had permanently shifted, 8,333 who were untraceable despite repeated visits, 2,248 already enrolled elsewhere, and 309 electors who declined enrolment on religious grounds.

The draft electoral rolls published on July 4 contain a total of 8,28,906 electors, including 4,29,881 women voters.