The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Assamese electoral rolls, where assembly elections are scheduled for 2026, will be carried out independently, the Election Commission (EC) declared on Monday.
Gyanesh Kumar, the Chief Election Commissioner, told reporters at a news conference in Delhi that Assam's special legal provisions under the Citizenship Act are keeping the revision process impartial.
"Assam has its own provisions under the Citizenship Act of India. The citizenship check there is almost finished under the Supreme Court's watch," Kumar stated.
"The entire nation was covered by the 24th SIR directive. This would not have applied to Assam in such a situation. Therefore, Assam would have its own revision orders," he continued.
According to Kumar, the SIR's second phase will be conducted in 12 states and Union Territories, encompassing around 51 crore voters.
"SIR will ensure no eligible elector is left out and no ineligible elector is included in poll rolls," he said. Beginning on November 4, the enumeration procedure will culminate in the publication of draft rolls on December 9 and final rolls on February 7.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal are the 12 areas that are covered in this phase.
In 2026, elections are planned in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, and West Bengal. "There is no confrontation between the Election Commission and the state government," Kumar said in response to inquiries about coordination with the West Bengal government. The state government will fulfill its responsibilities, and the Commission is carrying them out."
Additionally, Kumar affirmed that there were no appeals filed in Bihar following the successful completion of the SIR's first phase. On September 30, the final voters list which included around 7.42 crore electors was released.
Bihar will have two rounds of voting on November 6 and November 11, with the count taking place on November 14.
In order to finalize the SIR roadmap, the EC has already met with Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) twice at the national level. A few of states have already posted updated voter lists on their websites.
