ECP Boosts Voter List Revision Deadline to Mid-February

In a significant move, the Election Commission of India has extended the deadline for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists by one week, pushing it to February 14. This extension applies to 12 states and Union Territories, coming as the Parliament prepares for its winter session where electoral processes are often debated intensely. The commission’s order provides poll officials with more time to publish the draft electoral rolls. The enumeration period, initially ending December 4, will now continue through December 11. The publication date for the draft voter list has been moved from December 9 to December 16, with the final list scheduled for release on February 14. This extension follows appeals from opposition parties, such as the Trinamool Congress, who voiced concerns about the efficiency and integrity of the door-to-door verification campaign. They pointed to the extreme pressure on booth-level officers (BLOs) to complete tasks within tight schedules. Disturbingly, there have been reported suicides among BLOs in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, underscoring the critical nature of the situation, especially with West Bengal’s elections on the horizon. Efforts in Bengal have already identified approximately 18.70 lakh deceased individuals on the voter rolls. The commission now anticipates removing around 35 lakh names in total, including duplicates and those who have moved permanently.