Election Commission Extends Special Intensive Revision Deadlines in Six States While Bengal's Timeline Remains Unchanged

The Election Commission has announced an extension for the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise in six states and territories, while maintaining the original deadlines for others.

New Delhi:

The Election Commission today announced extended timeframes for the special intensive revision (SIR) voter roll cleanup exercise across five states and one Union Territory. The extension applies to Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

For Goa, Gujarat, Lakshadweep, Rajasthan, and West Bengal, the enumeration period concluded today without extensions. According to the Election Commission, these states will have their draft electoral rolls published on December 16.

The next significant electoral battle between the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and Opposition parties will occur in Bengal after Bihar, with elections scheduled for early next year.

The updated enumeration deadlines are now December 14 for Tamil Nadu and Gujarat; December 18 for Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands; and December 26 for Uttar Pradesh.

For the publication of draft rolls, the new dates are December 19 for Tamil Nadu and Gujarat; December 23 for Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands; and December 31 for Uttar Pradesh.

Before this latest revision, the Election Commission had already adjusted the schedule for Kerala, setting December 18 as the enumeration deadline and December 23 for draft electoral roll publication.

NDTV reported yesterday that the Election Commission was considering extending the SIR deadlines for Uttar Pradesh and several other states.

This extension comes amid significant criticism from Opposition parties, who have accused the Election Commission of implementing "impractical" deadlines that overwhelm booth-level officers (BLOs) and create difficulties for voters.

During an all-party meeting, representatives from the Congress, Trinamool Congress, CPI(M), and Samajwadi Party claimed the Election Commission disregarded practical considerations while rushing through the revision schedule.

Congress leader Pramod Tiwari urged the Election Commission to adopt the more thorough approach used during the 2003 revision. He also suggested that avoiding discussions about SIR in Parliament indicated the government's reluctance to allow Parliament to function effectively.

According to recent Election Commission data, 50.8 crore enumeration forms have already been digitized, with approximately 23.22 lakh forms still pending processing. Since the second phase of SIR began on November 4, a total of 50.96 crore forms have been distributed.