In a bid to fortify India’s electoral framework, the Election Commission of India (ECI) will roll out Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in 22 states and Union Territories, encompassing Delhi, beginning April 2026. This comes as current revisions in 13 others near fruition.
The targeted areas include Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Ladakh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, NCT of Delhi, Odisha, Punjab, Sikkim, Tripura, Telangana, and Uttarakhand.
Chief Electoral Officers were instructed Thursday to prioritize SIR preparations. Secretary Pawan Dewan’s advisory highlighted: ‘With SIR set for April 2026 in these 22 states/UTs, complete all related preparatory tasks immediately.’
Background includes ECI’s June 24, 2025, order for pan-India SIR, a July 5 directive for pre-revision (excluding Bihar), and an October 27 launch in 12 states/UTs, now almost done.
Adding context, Kolkata insights show nearly 20 lakh voter documents pending DEO re-verification ahead of draft roll objection hearings. West Bengal CEO insiders point to ‘logical discrepancies’ caught by micro-observers.
‘Observer checks revealed documents not aligning with ECI’s 13 valid IDs,’ a source noted. These were remanded for re-verification, with DEOs tasked to expedite and report.
This rigorous exercise reaffirms ECI’s dedication to impeccable voter rolls, essential for credible elections and sustaining democratic integrity amid rising stakes.