The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday announced that the second phase of the nationwide voter list revision will take place in 12 states and union territories after the Bihar Assembly elections next month. This exercise is part of the Election Commission’s ‘special intensive revision’ (SIR) of electoral rolls, which aims to update and clean the country’s voter database.
The first phase of the revision was completed in Bihar between June and July, and the final voter roll was published on September 30. The ECI said there were “zero appeals” related to wrongful deletions during the process.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar said during a press conference that voter rolls must be updated before every election or as required by law. He also addressed criticism from opposition parties regarding the timing of the Bihar revision, saying that many of those raising concerns had also questioned the accuracy of existing voter lists.
“SIR has already been conducted eight times from 1951 to 2004. The last such revision took place over two decades ago, from 2002 to 2004,” Kumar said.
He explained that a fresh revision is necessary due to various factors, such as migration, which often leads to voters being registered in more than one location. Additionally, the process helps identify and remove names of deceased individuals or those who may have been wrongly included, such as foreign nationals.
The Chief Election Commissioner said the upcoming phase will ensure that voter lists remain accurate and up-to-date before the next series of elections. “The integrity of electoral rolls is the foundation of free and fair elections. Every eligible voter must be included, and every ineligible name must be removed,” he added.
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Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
