ECI to Announce First Phase of Pan-India Electoral Roll Revision Today; 10–15 States Likely to Be Covered
New Delhi, October 27 (Udaipur Kiran): The Election Commission of India (ECI) will on Monday announce the first phase of the Pan-India Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, marking the first such nationwide exercise in nearly two decades. The first phase is expected to cover 10–15 states and Union Territories, including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry — all key poll-bound regions.
According to sources in the Election Commission, the initial phase will exclude states such as Maharashtra, where local body elections are due by January 31, 2026, following Supreme Court directions, as well as snow-bound regions like Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Ladakh.
First Major Revision in 20 Years
The last countrywide intensive revision of electoral rolls took place nearly 20 years ago. The current exercise aims to clean up the rolls, remove duplicate entries, and update voter data, including the removal of deceased or relocated voters and illegal entries.
The first phase of enrolment is expected to begin on November 1, with the final electoral roll publication likely by the end of January or early February 2026, following the standard three-month schedule used during Bihar’s SIR.
DMK Chief Stalin Raises Concerns
Ahead of the official announcement, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M.K. Stalin accused the BJP of “plotting to delete voter names” from lists in states headed for elections.
“As seen in Bihar, where nearly 65 lakh voters were deprived of their voting rights through SIR, the BJP is trying to use the Election Commission as a tool to repeat this in Tamil Nadu,” Stalin alleged.
He further said,
“BJP and its ally AIADMK think removing the names of working-class people, minorities, Scheduled Castes, women, and the poor will ensure their victory. But this calculation will fail.”
Unlike in Bihar, where the EC initiated the SIR through a written order, the Pan-India SIR will be formally announced via a press conference, allowing questions and clarifications from media representatives.
SIR to Roll Out in Stages
The Election Commission plans to implement the SIR in three broad categories of states/UTs:
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Cold-weather states likely to experience harsh winter conditions.
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States with upcoming local body polls, which rely on electoral rolls under the Representation of the People Act.
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States with 75–80% voter mapping already completed, requiring only about 20% of electors to submit updated documents for verification.
The list of accepted eligibility documents will remain largely similar to that used in Bihar. Aadhaar will continue to serve only as proof of identity, not citizenship or residence.
ECI Confident of ‘Cleaner Rolls’
Sources said that the groundwork for the Pan-India SIR has been under way for the past two months. The Commission recently held two national conferences of Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) in September and October, with the latest session on October 22–23 reviewing readiness across states and UTs.
With 50%–70% of elector mapping already complete and booth-level officers trained, the ECI believes it can achieve a transparent, error-free voter list. Political parties have been urged to appoint booth-level agents to ensure maximum oversight and fairness.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.