EC Launches Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls in 12 States and UTs

The Election Commission of India (EC) has announced a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 12 states and Union Territories (UTs) to ensure the accuracy and integrity of voter lists. This revision, beginning November 4, 2025, will require all 51 crore registered electors in these regions to submit enumeration forms by December 4 to remain on the draft roll. The states and UTs covered in this phase include Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

The EC’s decision follows its June 24 nationwide SIR order, starting with Bihar, where the final electoral roll was published on September 30 and saw a 6% reduction in electors after verification. The EC said the move was prompted by persistent complaints from political parties over inaccuracies in voter lists, including issues like migration, duplicate registrations, inclusion of deceased persons, and wrongful entries of foreigners. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar noted that this is the ninth SIR since 1951, the last one being between 2002 and 2005.

During this SIR, 5.33 lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct door-to-door verification to collect forms and assist voters in tracing their details in previous rolls. The draft roll will be published on December 9, 2025, and the final electoral roll on February 7, 2026. Electors unable to trace themselves or their parents in the earlier rolls (2002–2005) will need to submit eligibility documents to remain on the list. These may include Aadhaar (for identity, not citizenship) or extracts from the Bihar SIR roll (as proof of parental eligibility).

The EC expanded its list of acceptable documents from 11 to 13, adding Aadhaar and the Bihar SIR roll. All those born after July 1, 1987, must furnish documents establishing the citizenship or eligibility of both themselves and their parents. The EC emphasized that Aadhaar can only serve as proof of identity, not citizenship.

Assam has been excluded from this phase due to the ongoing Supreme Court-monitored National Register of Citizens (NRC) process. The CEC clarified that a separate revision would be ordered later for the state, as it falls under different legal provisions of the Citizenship Act.

The selection of states for this phase was based on readiness assessments conducted during a recent conference of Chief Electoral Officers. Urban regions such as Delhi and Chandigarh were excluded for now due to frequent migration and low matching rates with earlier rolls. Weather conditions and the timing of local elections were also factored into the decision.

Addressing political reactions, particularly from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who termed the exercise an “NRC through the backdoor,” the CEC said there was no impasse and all constitutional bodies would perform their roles as mandated. In Kerala, where local body polls are expected, the EC clarified that the elections have not yet been notified, so the SIR will proceed as scheduled.

Finally, EC officials reiterated that the SIR aims to purify the electoral rolls, improve voter data accuracy, and prevent electoral fraud. They assured that the exercise will be transparent, with opportunities for citizens to verify their records through BLOs or the EC’s online voters’ portal.