ECI announces schedule for Phase 3 of SIR
What's the story
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) Phase-III of electoral rolls in 16 states and three Union Territories. The exercise will cover over 36 crore electors and will be conducted in a phased manner. The ECI said that the revision will cover all states and UTs under Phase-III except Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh.
Coordination
ECI to use field machinery for census
The ECI has planned the exercise in coordination with the house listing component of the Census. This is to ensure optimal use of field machinery. The poll body has deployed over 3.94 lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs) for house-to-house verification, which will be supported by 3.42 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by political parties during this phase.
Participation
ECI urges political parties to appoint BLAs
The ECI has stressed that the exercise is participatory and involves all stakeholders, including electors, political parties, and election officials. It has also urged political parties to appoint BLAs for each polling booth to ensure full participation and transparency in the process. "ECI requests all political parties to appoint BLAs for each Polling Booth...so that SIR is conducted with complete transparency and full participation of political parties," it said.
Past progress
Previous 2 phases covered over 59 crore electors
In the previous two phases of SIR, more than 59 crore electors were covered. This was done with the help of over 6.3 lakh BLOs and 9.2 lakh BLAs. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has urged all electors to enthusiastically participate in Phase III of SIR and fill their Enumeration Forms. "I appeal to all electors to enthusiastically participate in Phase III of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and fill their Enumeration Forms," he added.
State-wise schedule
Final publication date for DNH and Daman
For Odisha, Mizoram, Sikkim and Manipur, the qualifying date is July 1, 2026. The preparation phase will be from May 20-29, house-to-house verification from May 30-June 28 and final publication on September 6. For Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (DNH & DD), the preparation phase is May 25-June 3 with final publication on September 11.
State-wise schedule
Final publication date for other states
For Uttarakhand, the preparation phase is May 29-June 7 with final publication on September 15. For Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana and Chandigarh, the preparation phase is June 5-14 with final publication on September 22. For Telangana and Punjab, the final publication date is October 1. For Karnataka, Meghalaya, Maharashtra and Jharkhand, the final publication date is October 7.