NEW DELHI, Oct 27 — The Election Commission on Monday announced the launch of the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 12 states and Union Territories, as part of its ongoing effort to ensure accurate and inclusive voter lists across India.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar said the Commission had completed the first phase of the exercise in Bihar, recording “zero appeals” during the process — an outcome he termed “encouraging for electoral integrity.”
“This Special Intensive Revision will make sure that no eligible voter is left out and no ineligible name remains on the rolls,” Kumar said at a press conference in New Delhi. “It is the ninth such exercise since Independence, with the previous one conducted between 2002 and 2004.”
The SIR, designed to cleanse and update electoral rolls through door-to-door verification, has already concluded in Bihar where the final list, comprising nearly 7.42 crore electors, was published on September 30.
Polling in the state will take place in two phases — on November 6 and 11 — with counting scheduled for November 14.
According to officials, the Commission has convened two national conferences with state Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) to finalise the roadmap for the ongoing revision. “Several states have already made their revised rolls public on their official websites,” an EC official noted.
The CEC said the second phase will follow a similar framework of verification and public scrutiny before the final publication of electoral rolls. The move, he added, is part of the Commission’s continued focus on transparency and voter inclusion ahead of upcoming elections.
