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EC to Revise Voter Rolls in 15 States From Monday

  • By Thetripurapost Desk, New Delhi
  • Oct 26, 2025
  • 583

The Election Commission of India (ECI) will announce a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across the country on Monday at 4:15 pm, marking the most comprehensive voter list verification exercise in two decades.

According to official sources, the first phase of the SIR will cover 10 to 15 states, particularly those where assembly elections are scheduled within the next year, including Assam, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, and West Bengal.

An ECI official clarified that states with upcoming local body elections will not immediately undergo SIR, as lower-level officials will be occupied with poll duties. The revision in those states will commence after local elections conclude.

Consultation with State CEOs

The Commission has already held two rounds of meetings with the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all states to finalize the framework for implementing the SIR. Several CEOs have updated their latest voter lists on their official websites, reflecting data from the last SIR.

For instance, Delhi’s 2008 voter list and Uttarakhand’s 2006 list are now publicly available. Bihar, which recently completed voter verification, published its final data on October 1.

ECI officials stated that the upcoming SIR will serve as the new cut-off point for electoral rolls—similar to the 2003 Bihar SIR, which guided subsequent voter data verification across India.


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Focus on Accuracy and Citizenship

The Commission emphasized that the main objective of the SIR is to eliminate duplicate or fraudulent entries and ensure that every registered voter is an Indian citizen. The revision will also assist in identifying and removing foreign illegal immigrants, particularly in border states like Assam and West Bengal, amid ongoing crackdowns on undocumented residents from Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Officials said the last SIRs were conducted between 2002 and 2004, but changing demographics, migration, and urban expansion have necessitated a fresh review.

Scale of the Exercise

Currently, India has 991 million registered voters. Of these, around 80 million voters in Bihar have already completed the process. The Commission expects approximately 210 million voters to provide additional documents during this exercise.

Booth-Level Officers (BLOs) will visit every household and deliver pre-filled voter forms. Individuals who turn 18 years old by December 31 will automatically be included in the revision process.

Bihar Controversy Lingers

The SIR process in Bihar has previously faced controversy, with opposition parties alleging vote tampering and large-scale deletion of names before elections. The matter is still pending before the Supreme Court, which, however, has upheld the ECI’s procedures as legitimate.

Recently, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the Commission of “protecting those who destroy democracy.” In a 31-minute press conference on September 18, Gandhi alleged systematic voter deletions in Karnataka’s Aland constituency, claiming that several deletions were linked to mobile numbers registered in other states.

The ECI has since submitted Bihar’s final voter list to the Supreme Court for review.

Conclusion

The Election Commission’s upcoming Special Intensive Revision represents a major step toward modernizing India’s voter database, ensuring transparency, and preventing electoral fraud. With assembly elections due in several key states by May 2026, this exercise could reshape the voter landscape ahead of a crucial electoral cycle.