SIR Kicks Off in 12 States, Including UP and MP

Special Intensive Revision’s second phase includes Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

ECI Launches Major Voter List Review

The Election Commission is starting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive. This exercise covers nine states and three Union Territories. The initiative begins on Tuesday (November 4). This extensive SIR process will wrap up on February 7, 2026. This is when the final voter list will be officially published. These states and Union Territories together have about 51 crore voters.

Second Phase of Special Intensive Revision (SIR)

This is the second phase of SIR after Bihar. The final electoral roll in Bihar was released on September 30. Around 7.42 crore names were included in the list there. States and UTs covered in this second phase include Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

Upcoming 2026 Assembly Elections

Assembly elections are due next year in some of these states. Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, and West Bengal will hold elections in 2026. Assam also has elections in 2026. However, its voter list revision will be announced separately. This is because a Supreme Court-monitored citizenship verification process is ongoing there. Also, a different Citizenship Act provision applies in Assam.

Election Commission’s Statement on SIR

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar spoke on October 27. He announced the new SIR phase. He said, “Under the Citizenship Act, Assam has separate provisions for citizenship. The citizenship checking work under Supreme Court’s supervision is nearing completion. The SIR order of June 24 was for the whole country. In such circumstances, it does not apply to Assam.”

Key Dates for SIR Process

The SIR process starts on November 4. It will continue until December 4. The Election Commission will release the draft voter list on December 9. The final voter list will be published on February 7. The last SIR took place between 2002 and 2004. The commission believes SIR ensures all eligible voters are included. It also makes sure no ineligible name stays on the roll. The primary goal is removing illegal foreign migrants. This is done by checking their birth place. This step is important due to actions against illegal migrants in various states. These include those from Bangladesh and Myanmar.