Chandigarh, March 31: The Chandigarh Administration has finalized preparations for a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls for the Chandigarh Parliamentary Constituency. While the official start date from the Election Commission is still pending, district officials stated that the exercise is expected to commence in April as part of the third phase of a nationwide effort to sanitize voter lists.
District Election Officer Nishant Kumar Yadav affirmed that the constituency, which currently holds 5,31,721 registered voters, is ready for the rollout. The process will involve door-to-door enumeration by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to verify existing data and correct non-standard photographs or “gibberish” entries. Assistant Electoral Registration Officers have been directed to submit signed status reports on these discrepancies to ensure the integrity of the data.
The revision includes specific documentation requirements based on an elector’s date of birth.
“Electors whose names do not appear in the electoral rolls of 2002 or 2003 in any state will be served notices,” Yadav maintained. These individuals will be required to attend a hearing and provide documents establishing their place of birth or the nationality of their parents, depending on the year they were born.
The Election Commission has also encouraged political parties to appoint Booth Level Agents to help identify errors early in the process. To assist the public, a dedicated toll-free helpline (1950) has been established, which will operate 24 hours a day once the SIR period officially begins.
This intensive revision follows similar exercises in other states that resulted in significant changes to voter populations. In Bihar and Assam, the process led to a contraction of the voter lists, while the second phase across nine states saw an average deletion rate of nearly 8 percent. While some political groups have raised concerns regarding the removal of names, the Election Commission asserted that the exercise is a factual and necessary measure to ensure the accuracy of the national democratic process.
