Key poll panel meet today to map rollout of pan-India voter roll revision exercise

The Election Commission will hold a two-day meeting in Delhi from Wednesday with Chief Election Officers (CEOs) of all states and union territories to review preparations for a nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, officials said.

The meeting will include Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Election Commissioners Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr Vineet Joshi, along with other senior officials and deputy election commissioners.

According to senior officials at the Election Commission, the meeting is significant as it will assess compliance with instructions issued during the last meeting on September 10, aimed at laying the groundwork before the SIR process begins. Officials will review how much progress has been made on tasks assigned to state CEOs last month and what remains pending.

The session will begin on Wednesday afternoon and conclude on Thursday after a morning session. The poll panel is expected to set more precise targets during the meeting.

Sources told India Today TV that the focus will remain on initiating the SIR process across the country by the end of this year. Officials will also discuss whether to conduct the review nationwide in a single phase or in two phases, depending on factors such as weather, agricultural cycles, and examination schedules.

Unlike the routine annual and pre-election Special Summary Revision carried out over the last two decades, the SIR involves a complete overhaul of the electoral rolls.

In June this year, the poll panel announced a nationwide Special Intensive Revision of the voter list, beginning with Bihar due to the impending Assembly elections in the state. The move triggered a massive uproar, especially by the Opposition parties, with many calling it a "vote theft" exercise aimed at benefitting the ruling dispensation.

The poll panel, however, denied the allegations and said that it is a constitutional duty to ensure accurate electoral records.

- Ends