ECI to announce schedule for nationwide electoral rolls revision tomorrow
What's the story
The Election Commission of India (ECI) will announce the schedule for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in multiple states on October 27. The announcement will be made at a press conference at 4:15pm likely headed by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. While the details are yet to be released, reports suggest that the first phase of SIR will cover 10-15 states, including those slated for Assembly elections in 2026.
Voter roll update
Bihar updates voter list ahead of Assembly elections
Bihar has recently updated its voter list, with a final roll of nearly 7.42 crore names as of September 30. The state will vote in two phases on November 6 and 11, with counting on November 14. Other states are also making their previous voter rolls available online for reference during the SIR process.
Migration concerns
SIR aims to identify illegal foreign migrants
The primary objective of the SIR exercise, according to the ECI and several political parties, including the ruling BJP, is to "weed out foreign illegal migrants" by verifying their place of birth. This comes amid ongoing crackdowns on undocumented migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar in several states. The ECI has held two conferences with state chief electoral officers (CEOs) to finalize the SIR rollout plan, with local body elections being a key factor in determining when revisions will take place.
Political backlash
Opposition's stand on SIR
Opposition parties, however, have criticized the SIR as a communal exercise against minorities, especially Muslims. They also argue that it could be dangerous for marginalized or dispossessed communities. In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court of India ordered the ECI to accept Aadhaar as a valid document and to publish lists of excluded voters and the reasons for their exclusion. It also reminded the poll body to be transparent.