The Election Commission (EC) has directed a Special Summary Revision (SSR) of the voters’ list in Odisha’s Nuapada Assembly constituency ahead of the by-election set to be held for the seat vacated following its MLA’s death.
Election Commission sources said the integrated draft electoral rolls would be published by September 15 while the whole exercise would be completed by October 9. The exercise will be conducted under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, with July 1, 2025 as the qualifying date. This means those who turned 18 by the qualifying date will be included in the revised electoral rolls.
According to officials, one of the aims of the SSR is to update details of voters, such as their name, address, photo and age, and another is to delete the names of those who have died or moved elsewhere.
“It’s the mandate of the EC to conduct summary or intensive revision before every election. Since there is no time for intensive revision, we are going for summary revision,” said an official.
Officials expect the election to the Nuapada Assembly segment to be held along with the Assembly election in Bihar. The seat fell vacant following the death of BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia.
Litmus test
For the three major parties in Odisha, the Nuapada by-election will be a litmus test. While it will be the first by-election that the BJD fights as an Opposition party, it will also be seen as a reflection of the performance of the BJP government in Odisha in its first 15 months in power.
For the Congress’s state unit, it will be the first election under the leadership of new president Bhakta Charan Das, who is from the nearby Kalahandi district.
