The Election Commission of India (ECI) will hold a press conference on Monday evening to announce the first phase of the nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The briefing, scheduled for 4:15 pm, will be led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
According to media reports, the first phase is expected to include 10 to 15 states, among them Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry, all of which are due for Assembly elections in 2026. few other states are also likely to be added to the list.
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Bihar, which recently completed its voter list update, had nearly 7.42 crore names on its final roll as of September 30. The state will hold Assembly elections on November 6 and 11, with counting. scheduled for November 14. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar, conducted ahead of the polls, sparked political debate after reports suggested that over six lakh voters had been removed from the rolls. Opposition parties accused the Election Commission of bias, while the Supreme Court sought clarification regarding the deletions.
The Special Intensive Revision is a large-scale exercise in which electoral rolls are freshly prepared, requiring every registered voter to submit a new enumeration form. This differs from the regular Special Summary Revision (SSR), which is conducted annually or before elections and only updates existing entries.
During the SIR, officials will carry out door-to-door verification, address claims and objections, and update photo voter ID cards. After the completion of the first phase, other states will be gradually included to ensure a uniform voter registration process across the country.
The voter list revision drive also aims to identify and remove ineligible foreign nationals by verifying voters’ place of birth, a measure that has gained importance amid ongoing crackdowns on undocumented. migrants from countries such as Bangladesh and Myanmar.
