Nationwide SIR; phase 2 begins for 12 states tomorrow: ECI
What's the story
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced the second phase of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 12 states and Union Territories. The exercise will start on Tuesday, October 28, and cover Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Puducherry, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Lakshadweep. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said around 51 crore voters will be covered in this phase, with over 5 lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs) involved.
Process details
Key dates for SIR process
The ECI will start printing Enumeration Forms on October 28, which will be distributed to voters in the states where SIR is being conducted, the CEC annunced in Delhi today. The house-to-house enumeration process will begin on November 4 and continue till December 4. Draft electoral rolls are expected to be published on December 9, while claims and objections can be filed from December 9, 2025, to January 8, 2026.
Roll finalization
No voter revision in Assam
The final electoral rolls are scheduled to be published on February 7, 2026. Despite the upcoming Assembly elections in Assam in 2026, no SIR has been announced for the state in this phase. The ECI said a separate order for the revision of electoral rolls in Assam will be issued later.
Aadhaar clarification
Use of Aadhaar cards during SIR process
During a press conference, CEC Kumar clarified that while Aadhaar cards can be used as identity proof during the SIR process, they are not valid proof of date of birth or domicile. He also emphasized that no other documents would be collected during the enumeration phase apart from the enumeration forms.