SIR: Election Commission extends roll revision deadline in 6 states, UTs

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India on Thursday extended the timeline for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in six states and Union territories following requests from their chief electoral officers.

The revised schedule covers Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Uttar Pradesh. The enumeration period for these regions was initially set to end on Thursday, with draft rolls scheduled for publication on December 16.

The extension comes amid concerns that many electors were unable to fill out or submit their enumeration forms on time. The EC’s field teams are currently re-verifying ASD (absent, shifted, dead/duplicate) electors who could not be contacted by booth-level officers (BLOs) despite three mandated attempts.

Opposition parties have alleged that the tight timelines have caused immense stress among BLOs, contributing to incidents of suicide or attempts. The Election Commission, however, has not acknowledged any such cases as being linked to work pressure, and sources within the EC maintain that the deadlines were not severe enough to drive anyone to such extremes.

As per the revised timeline, the enumeration period for Tamil Nadu and Gujarat will now continue until December 14, with draft rolls to be published on December 19. For Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, enumeration will continue until December 18, and draft rolls will be issued on December 23. Uttar Pradesh will have the longest extension, with enumeration open until December 26 and draft rolls to be released on December 31.

The statement also noted that the enumeration period for Goa, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Rajasthan and West Bengal ends on Thursday, with draft rolls set for release on December 16. Kerala’s schedule had been revised earlier, with enumeration continuing until December 18 and draft rolls to be published on December 23.

To ensure all eligible voters are included, new electors are being encouraged to submit Form 6 to BLOs or complete it online through the ECINet app or website. The final electoral rolls will be published in February next year.
(With PTI inputs)