Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 16: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday directed 17 states and Union Territories to conduct a Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls, with January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date.
The exercise aims to enrol eligible voters, particularly young and first-time voters, correct errors in existing entries and improve the accuracy of electoral rolls.
The revision will cover Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. The schedule for states and Union Territories where the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is ongoing or has recently been completed will be announced separately.
The Commission has directed chief secretaries of all states to ensure that adequate manpower and resources are available to officials involved in the revision, including Chief Electoral Officers, District Election Officers, Electoral Registration Officers, Assistant Electoral Registration Officers, BLO supervisors and Booth Level Officers.
The ECI said the Electoral Registration Officer concerned would be responsible for ensuring that no eligible citizen is left out of the electoral roll and no ineligible person is included.
According to the schedule, the rationalisation and rearrangement of polling stations will be completed by November 2, 2026. The integrated draft electoral rolls will be published on November 12, after which voters can submit claims and objections until December 11. The disposal of claims and objections is scheduled to be completed by December 28, and the final electoral rolls will be published on January 4, 2027.
The announcement comes amid ongoing political controversy over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Election Commission, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi on a petition filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and nine other INDIA bloc leaders challenging the SIR exercise.
Opposition parties have raised concerns over the deletion of voters’ names during the revision and questioned the additional declaration required with Form 6 applications while the SIR was underway. Protests have also been held in New Delhi, with opposition groups demanding the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner.
The revision will cover several states scheduled to hold Assembly elections in 2027. The terms of the Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Goa, Punjab and Uttarakhand Assemblies end on different dates in 2027.