EC announces Phase 2 of SIR in 12 states, UTs including TN, Kerala, MP, Chhattisgarh

The Election Commission has announced the launch of Phase 2 of the nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The SIR will cover 12 states and Union Territories, including poll-bound West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry, as per sources. 

Addressing a press conference, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said, “In the states where SIR will be conducted, electoral rolls will be frozen at midnight today. Later, voters will be given unique enumeration forms with all details.”

The EC will begin training Booth Level Officers under the SIR exercise will begin on October 28, till November 3. The enumeration process will begin on November 4.

Each BLO will visit every household three times during the process to verify voter details and ensure the accuracy of electoral rolls.

The EC is aiming to ensure cleaner, error-free rolls by removing duplicate, deceased, or ineligible voters.

The CEC clarified during the press meet that the Aadhaar card can be used as a valid identity document during the SIR process however it does not serve as proof of citizenship, date of birth, or domicile.

The states and union territories covered in Phase 2 are: Andaman and Nicobar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

Assam is excluded from the list due to its seperate provisions under the Citizenship Act. There will be a seperate order for the state. 

Kumar said that the ongoing SIR is the 9th since independence and that the last one was held 21 years ago between 2002 and 2004.

The draft rolls will be published on December 9 and the final electoral rolls will be out on February 4.

India