Election Commission Faces Tough Task In Uttarakhand Due To Shifting Population Patterns

Uttarakhand: The Election Commission of India wants to update the Voter List (SIR) in Uttarakhand soon. But the changing population patterns now emerging—including the number of Nepali daughters-in-law, migration from the state, and geographical shifts in the population—have made the process extremely complex. 

Many villages are empty and difficult to contact

In the last few years, people from many hill areas of Uttarakhand have moved to the cities and outside. This migration has changed the voter base across the state. Now election officials are busy finding those people who are now living in the city or have gone out part-time. 

Many villages have become “ghost villages”—where the people who were previously recorded no longer live. In such a situation, it is not easy to update the voting list and check the “real voter.”

Nepali daughters-in-law and questions to be filed

The Election Commission says women whose maternal home is Nepal—i.e., foreign daughters-in-law—will have to re-verify their address and identity in the list. In some cases, it will have to be proved whether they actually participated in Uttarakhand or whether they are registered as voters or not. Because of this, social sensitivity is also coming to the fore. For many people this identity or paper twist will emerge, which will have to be done carefully.

The city and plain areas are also not free from challenges

Some constituencies in the plains have seen a sudden increase of up to 70% in voter numbers in the last decade. This will enable the Booth Level Workers (BLOs) and the Election Commission to find out how many genuine voters there are in the increased number, who has gone out, and where to update the voter list. This work is as important as it is complex.

Will confirmation of property documents and maternal address be sufficient?

Among the women who will have to provide their maternal or in-laws' address during SIR, daughters-in-law who have come from Nepal will also have to provide documents. The Commission is saying that this is not a matter of citizenship but of verification of the voter list. But this issue, related to people's sense of maintaining identity, identity, and social status, is sensitive.

Changing picture of Uttarakhand—challenges and future

Migration, changing population, vacant homes in marginal areas, and social change—all are changing the image of Uttarakhand, which was earlier known for hill villages, natural beauty, and continuously settled communities. 

Now the Election Commission will have to work with this changing reality while updating the voter list. This challenge is not just an administrative process—it can also affect the political identity and social structure of the state