EC to announce nationwide voter roll revision, 10 states including Assam first

The Election Commission of India is set to announce the nationwide rollout of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls tomorrow, with the first phase covering approximately 10 states, including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, and the Union Territory of Puducherry, according to reports.

The Commission has reportedly convened a meeting in Delhi with Chief Electoral Officers from all states and Union Territories to review the SIR process, drawing lessons from its implementation in Bihar. An official, speaking anonymously to news outlets, claimed that the Bihar revision, which spanned from June 24 to September 30, took nearly four months. The Commission now aims to streamline the process to reduce the duration.

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To expedite voter verification, states and Union Territories have been directed to begin pre-matching previous and current electoral rolls. The decision follows significant criticism from Opposition parties regarding the SIR process in Bihar, where approximately 66,000 names were removed from the voter list due to reported deaths, duplications, and migrations.

The Opposition accused the Commission of orchestrating mass disenfranchisement, particularly targeting marginalised and minority communities likely to support them.

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged collusion between the Election Commission and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to favour the ruling party, claiming the SIR was designed to manipulate voter lists.

The controversy prompted a Supreme Court intervention, which mandated the inclusion of Aadhaar as an acceptable identity document for voter verification. Overruling the Commission’s concerns about potential forgery, the court emphasised “en masse inclusion” over widespread exclusion to protect voting rights.