Maharashtra State Election Commission requests ECI to postpone SIR in State until January 2026 due to local body elections

The Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to defer its plan to roll out Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the State until January 2026, ahead of the local body elections, as the staff will be involved with process of bifurcation of Legislative Assembly electoral rolls and the elections.

In the letter dated September 9, the SEC stated, “During the elections, Deputy Collectors and Tahsildars (who are appointed as Returning Officers and Assistant Returning Officers for local body elections) in the State will be engaged in these elections. As the field staff including Deputy Collectors and Tahsildars are to the same officers for local body elections and revision of Assembly electoral roll, it is requested that the program for Special Intensive Revision, in case any such program is planned to be undertaken, be deferred till at least the end of January 2026.”

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The SEC pointed out that the delimitation of wards of Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis was completed and the delimitation of wards for Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats will be completed shortly.

The SEC’s request comes after Supreme Court of India on May 6 ordered SEC to conduct the local body elections in Maharashtra within a period of four months, while granting liberty to the SEC to seek extension of time in appropriate cases.

Elections to all 29 Municipal Corporations, 247 Municipal Councils, 42 out of 147 Nagar Panchayats, 32 out of 34 Zilla Parishads and 336 out of 351 Panchayat Samitis are due in Maharashtra.