ECI extends ongoing SIR schedule for 12 states, UTs by seven days

Kolkata: The Election Commission of India on Sunday issued a notification extending the ongoing three-stage Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in 12 Indian states and union territories (UTs) by seven days.

According to the earlier schedule, the enumeration period, that is, the completion of the collection and digitisation of the voters’ enumeration forms, was fixed for December 4. As per the new schedule, the new date has been fixed for December 11.

The date for the rationalisation or re-arrangement of polling stations has also been fixed for December 11.

As per the earlier schedule, the last date for publication of the draft electoral roll was December 9, which has now been extended to December 16.

As per the new schedule, the period for filing claims and objections has been fixed between December 16, 2025, and January 15, 2026.

The dates for the notice phase, which includes issuance, hearing, verification and decision on enumeration forms and disposal of claims and objections to be done concurrently by the electoral registration officers (EROs) have been fixed between December 16, 2025, and February 7, 2026.

The new date for the checking of health parameters of electoral rolls and obtaining the ECI’s permission for final publication is February 10, 2026.

The new date for the final publication of the electoral roll is February 14, which was earlier fixed on February 7.

Since the beginning, the opposition parties have been accusing the ECI of conducting the SIR exercise hurriedly at the behest of the BJP. Trinamool Congress has been the most vocal against the ECI on this issue.

Reactions from the political parties on the matter are yet to come. However, a member of West Bengal said on strict condition of anonymity that the extension of seven days is just an eyewash. “Any official statement in the matter will either be given by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee or our party’s general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee,” he said.

–IANS