Mizoram’s ‘Delete Church’ members told CEO Garima Gupta they oppose electoral roll enrolment due to religious beliefs during the ongoing SIR-2026 revision.
Members of the ‘Delete Church’ community on Friday informed Mizoram Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Garima Gupta that they did not wish to have their names included in the electoral roll, citing their religious beliefs, officials said.
The development came during Gupta’s visit to members of the small religious community in the Zotlang and Champhai areas of eastern Mizoram as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.
A Mizoram government official said the term “Delete Church” refers to a small religious community, particularly found in areas such as Champhai and Zotlang near the Myanmar border. Members of the community follow strict religious beliefs that, according to officials, prevent them from enrolling themselves in secular government electoral rolls.
After spending a day in Champhai district and holding discussions with district election officials, civil society organisations (CSOs) and political party representatives, CEO Garima Gupta visited members of the community to understand their position regarding electoral registration.
The visit was conducted as part of the Election Commission’s ongoing SIR exercise, which seeks to verify and update electoral rolls. During her interaction with the community, members received the CEO warmly and held a cordial discussion with her team.
“During the interaction, members of the Delete Church informed the CEO that they did not wish to have their names included in the Electoral Roll as they felt that doing so was not compatible with their religious beliefs,” an official said.
The official statement said Gupta was accompanied by Joint CEO Ethel Rothangpuii, Champhai Election Officer Ngulzaṭhuama and Champhai South Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) Lalchhuanawma Ralte during the visit.
The interaction provided election authorities with an opportunity to understand the reasons behind the community’s decision not to enrol in the electoral roll. The officials engaged with members directly to understand their concerns and position in the context of the ongoing revision exercise.
The visit comes against the backdrop of Mizoram’s progress in the SIR-2026 process. CEO Gupta had earlier stated that Mizoram became the first among the 16 states and two Union Territories undertaking the Special Intensive Revision to achieve 100 per cent digitisation of the enumeration process.
The draft electoral rolls under the ongoing SIR-2026 were published across all 11 districts of Mizoram on July 4. The qualifying date for the 2026 electoral roll is July 1, 2026.
According to the draft electoral rolls, Mizoram has a total of 8,28,906 registered voters. Of these, 4,29,881 are women and 3,99,025 are men.
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The issue involving the ‘Delete Church’ community highlights the diverse religious and social considerations that election officials encounter while conducting electoral roll revision in Mizoram. The CEO’s field visit to Champhai and Zotlang was aimed at understanding such local circumstances directly from community members.
The electoral authorities are continuing the SIR process across the state, with officials engaging different sections of society to verify electoral information and address issues connected with voter registration and the revision of electoral rolls.
