Assam Gets Special Revision, Not Intensive Revision Like 12 Other States

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday directed a Special Revision of electoral rolls in Assam, setting January 1, 2026 as the qualifying date. The instructions, issued to the Chief Electoral Officer of Assam, mark the beginning of a targeted update exercise ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.

Officials said the Special Revision falls between the routine annual summary revision and the more exhaustive Special Intensive Revision (SIR) that is currently underway in 12 states and Union Territories.

How the Assam Special Revision Differs from SIR

While the Special Revision in Assam is a lighter and more focused updating process, the SIR ordered on October 27 for 12 states involves a comprehensive, house-to-house verification drive aimed at cleaning the rolls in depth.

The SIR is being carried out in Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Puducherry, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep. Some of these states—Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and West Bengal—head to polls in 2026.

Key Features of Assam’s Special Revision

• Undertaken ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections

• Qualifying date: January 1, 2026

• Positioned between the annual summary revision and the more intensive SIR

• Aims to update and streamline rolls without launching a full-scale field verification

Mandatory Pre-Revision Steps for Assam

The pre-revision stage will include several components designed to improve the accuracy of voter lists:

1. House-to-House Verification

Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will use pre-filled registers (Statement-1) to identify:

• Multiple, dead, or permanently shifted electors

• Eligible but unenrolled citizens (Statement-2)

• Prospective voters aged 17+ who become eligible in 2026 (Statement-3)

BLOs must make at least three visits to households found locked during verification.

2. Image Quality Improvement

Poor-quality or unclear photographs will be replaced to ensure 100% EPIC coverage and high-quality images in the Photo Electoral Rolls.

3. Family Grouping

Officials will reorganize sections so that members of the same family appear in the same part of the roll.

4. Polling Station Rationalisation

Based on H2H verification, polling stations may be reorganized.
Key norms:

• No station should have more than 1,200 electors without special approval

• Electors should not travel more than 2 km or cross natural barriers

Claims, Objections & Aadhaar Guidelines

• New voter applications: Form-6

• Objections/deletions: Form-7

• Corrections, shift of residence, EPIC replacement, or PwD flagging: Form-8

Aadhaar submission remains voluntary, and no application can be rejected for not furnishing it.

PwD details will be flagged in the database for facilitation but will not appear in the published rolls.

Deletion Safeguards and Integrity Checks

• No deletions within 10 days of an election schedule announcement

• Death-based deletions require verification or a certificate

• Deletions due to shifting must be confirmed through Form-8 and new enrolment

• EROs must personally verify sensitive deletion patterns (e.g., more than 2% names removed in a part)

D-Voters will not undergo verification and can be modified only on orders from the Foreigners’ Tribunal or courts.

Supervision and Political Party Engagement

The process mandates multi-level supervision by BLO Supervisors, AEROs, DEOs, Roll Observers, and the CEO.

Political parties will be:

• Briefed on the revision schedule

• Consulted during polling station rationalisation

• Provided incremental lists of claims and objections weekly

• Given free copies of draft and final rolls

Why Assam Was Not Included in SIR Phase 2

The Election Commission clarified that the revision schedule for Assam would be announced separately, citing the need for a state-specific approach.

CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Welcomes the Move

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma lauded the ECI’s decision, calling it a step toward ensuring “clean, updated and accurate electoral rolls for all eligible citizens.” In a post on X, he said the state government would extend full support to ensure a “transparent and time-bound” revision.

The Special Revision is expected to play a critical role in preparing Assam’s voter lists amid ongoing public concerns over illegal migration, NRC-linked disputes, and scrutiny of voter legitimacy ahead of the high-stakes 2026 Assembly elections.

The Govt of Assam welcomes the Election Commission of India’s decision to undertake a Special Revision of the electoral roll with 01.01.2026 as the qualifying date.
This will help ensure clean, updated and accurate electoral rolls for all eligible citizens.
Assam will extend…

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) November 17, 2025

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