The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday instructed Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) in 22 States and Union Territories to expedite preparatory work for the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, scheduled to commence in April 2026.
In a communication to CEOs of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Ladakh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, the National Capital Territory of Delhi, Odisha, Punjab, Sikkim, Tripura, Telangana and Uttarakhand, EC Secretary Pawan Diwan urged officials to complete all advance arrangements promptly so the exercise can begin smoothly next month.
Nationwide SIR exercise already underway in 12 states
At present, the nationwide SIR drive is underway in 12 States and Union Territories, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
Rajya Sabha Elections 2026: 37 Seats falling vacant
The revision exercise comes ahead of the biennial elections to the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), where 37 seats across 10 States will fall vacant as members complete their terms in April 2026. The Commission has already released the election schedule. The terms of members from Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana are due to end in April.
Key dates for Rajya Sabha election process
According to the announced timeline, the notification will be issued on February 26. Nominations can be filed until March 5, with scrutiny scheduled for March 6. Candidates may withdraw their names by March 9. Polling will take place on March 16, and vote counting will be held the same day at 5 pm. The entire election process is slated to conclude by March 20.
The ECI has also directed that preferences on ballot papers must be marked only with integrated violet sketch pens.
Why the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is important
The Commission has said the Special Intensive Revision involves a thorough update of electoral rolls, including enrolling eligible new voters, verifying existing entries and deleting ineligible names. The objective is to improve the accuracy and credibility of voter lists ahead of upcoming elections.
A key focus of the exercise is the identification and removal of foreign illegal migrants by verifying place-of-birth details. The initiative gains importance amid ongoing crackdowns in several States on undocumented migrants, particularly those allegedly from Bangladesh and Myanmar.
