EC to begin Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in 22 states, UTs from April
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New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) will launch the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the remaining 22 states and Union Territories starting April 2026, directing Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) to expedite preparations.
In a letter sent Thursday to CEOs of these regions, the ECI stated: “Since the Special Intensive Revision in the above states/UTs is expected to start from April 2026, you are requested to complete preparatory work related to SIR at the earliest.”
The list includes Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Ladakh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Delhi, Odisha, Punjab, Sikkim, Tripura, Telangana, and Uttarakhand.
The ECI ordered nationwide SIR on June 24, 2025, to prepare fresh electoral rolls. It began in Bihar ahead of its 2025 Assembly elections, followed by 12 other states/UTs from October 27, 2025. Assam was exempted due to its pending National Register of Citizens (NRC). On July 5, 2025, the ECI instructed all CEOs except Bihar to start pre-revision activities.
Under SIR, all registered electors must submit enumeration forms, with some categories providing extra documents to verify eligibility, including citizenship. The ECI last conducted such an intensive revision in the early 2000s; since then, it has relied on annual updates and pre-election revisions.
The SIR order faced Supreme Court challenges last year, with petitioners arguing it exceeds ECI powers under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and deviates from past processes by including citizenship checks. The court has reserved its judgment.
