Delhi and 21 other states and UTs brace for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls from April 2026, as announced by the Election Commission of India. With 13 regions concluding their drives, ECI is methodically cleansing voter databases nationwide.
Key participants: Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli-Daman & Diu, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Ladakh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Delhi NCT, Odisha, Punjab, Sikkim, Tripura, Telangana, Uttarakhand.
CEOs got the green light—and urgency—Thursday to finalize setups. Pawan Dewan’s advisory pressed: ‘SIR starts April 2026; wrap up preparations now.’ It traced origins to 2025 orders: June 24 for all-India SIR, July 5 preps sans Bihar, October 27 rollout in 12 spots.
Challenges persist, as Kolkata reports flag 20 lakh pending documents for DEO re-checks, close to draft roll deadlines. Bengal CEO sources blame ‘logical flaws’ via micro-observer vigilance.
Documents mismatched ECI’s 13 approved IDs, leading to re-verification mandates. ‘DEOs must complete and report fast,’ per instructions.
Ultimately, SIR embodies ECI’s resolve for bulletproof voter lists, pivotal for untainted polls and robust democracy.