Kuki body opposes Manipur voter roll revision over displaced voters

A leading Kuki organisation has opposed Manipur's Special Intensive Revision of the electoral roll, saying the exercise is unfair while tens of thousands of displaced people remain unable to return home. The Kuki Inpi Manipur said the process should not proceed under the current circumstances because many Kuki-Zo internally displaced persons are still living away from their homes. The revision is already under way in the state, with house-to-house visits being carried out by Block Level Officers.

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In a statement issued on Thursday, the organisation said it had expected authorities to first make practical arrangements for the displaced population before moving ahead with the revision. It cited about 59,000 Kuki-Zo internally displaced persons who, it said, remain unable to participate because they have not been able to return to their homes. The group said no displaced person should be left out of the process and called for accessible and inclusive mechanisms.

The current revision timetable sets a draft roll for July 5, followed by a claims and objections process before the final list is published on September 6. The Kuki Inpi Manipur said proceeding without ensuring participation from a large and vulnerable section of the population would undermine democratic representation. It also urged the government and district administrations to take immediate steps to address the issue.

The dispute matters because electoral rolls determine who can vote and where they are registered, making access to the revision process central to representation. In Manipur, the issue is closely tied to displacement caused by conflict, which has left a significant number of people away from their homes. That creates practical problems for an administrative exercise that depends on accurate household-level verification.

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The Election Commission of India is overseeing the revision, and the process has already moved into field visits. According to the commission, Manipur has 20.91 lakh electors across 2,996 booths. Reporting on the issue has also indicated that special Assistant Electoral Registration Officers may be deployed for internally displaced persons, with arrangements being considered for around 14,000 to 15,000 IDPs eligible to take part in the exercise.

What remains unclear is how many displaced voters will ultimately be able to be enrolled through special arrangements, and whether those measures will be in place before the draft roll is published. It is also not yet clear how district administrations will handle participation for people still unable to return to their homes. The next key dates are July 5 for the draft roll and September 6 for the final list.

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