The Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has completed one year, leading to the deletion of nearly six crore voters across 19 states and Union territories. This exercise, which began in Bihar, has faced opposition criticism but was upheld by the Supreme Court. The purification drive has significant implications, including linking voter data to social security benefits in some states.
Since 2004, 12 states have added 160 million people to their rolls.
Tamil Nadu's electoral roll has been revised, resulting in the removal of 9.74 million voters following an enumeration exercise. The state's electoral roll now stands at 5.43 crore voters.
The pleas challenging SIR claimed that the Election Commission does not have powers under Article 326 of the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and the Rules made under it to carry out SIR in a larger form.
The EC also underlined that for electors whose enumeration forms have not returned, the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) would identify a probable cause, such as absent, shifted, dead and duplicate entry based on an inquiry from the nearby electors and would note the same.
The NIA has filed chargesheets against 31 individuals in connection with road blockades and illegal detention of judicial officers in West Bengal's Malda district.
The Election Commission is preparing to launch the third phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters' lists, potentially covering 22 states and Union Territories with approximately 40 crore electors.
The NCERT's Class 9 Social Science textbook now includes the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, explaining its purpose to ensure accurate voter lists. The textbook also commends the Election Commission of India (ECI) for conducting impartial polls despite challenges, highlighting the scale and autonomy of India's electoral process.
The Supreme Court has directed an appellate tribunal to expeditiously decide an appeal filed by a 75-year-old advocate challenging the deletion of his name from the West Bengal voters' list following a Special Intensive Revision exercise. The court noted the petitioner appeared to be a bona fide resident and requested a decision within two months.
The new BJP government also appointed IAS officer Shantanu Bala as the chief minister's private secretary, according to another notification.
More voter deletions recorded in draft SIR exercises than to the combined SSRs in the past 10 years.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Maulana Imran Ali and Rinku SK in connection with the April violence and protests in Malda, West Bengal. The arrests are part of 12 ongoing cases related to road blockades, illegal detention of judicial officers, and attacks on police during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
The Election Commission reports a significant reduction in West Bengal's electoral rolls following a Special Intensive Revision, with nearly 9.1 million voters deleted.
The renewed rush comes days after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that West Bengal would aggressively implement a 'detect, delete and deport' policy against infiltrators.
Maharashtra has completed 66.42 per cent of its pre-Special Intensive Revision (SIR) mapping work, with significant variations in progress across different districts, according to officials.
According to data released by the ECI, the revised electoral roll has 2,69,53,644 voters, compared to 2,78,50,855 before the Special Intensive Revision began in October last year.
The Supreme Court of India has upheld the Election Commission's documentation framework for the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, affirming the commission's authority and stating that Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and N V Anjaria said it would issue whatever orders or clarifications are required in the matter.
Appellate tribunals in West Bengal have only disposed of a small fraction of the appeals filed against decisions made during the electoral roll revision, raising concerns about the efficiency of the process.
The Election Commission is yet to disclose the number of voters whose names have been included or deleted following the SIR adjudication process in poll-bound West Bengal.
Leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc met in New Delhi on Monday and decided to write to the chief justice of India on the Special Intesive Revision exercise and "vote loot", besides demanding the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-CBSE row.
A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a detailed constituency-wise disclosure of disenfranchisement caused by the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
The Election Commission has extended the schedule for the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in several states and Union Territories following concerns raised by opposition parties.
The Election Commission removed 6.5 crore electors from the draft electoral rolls of nine states and three Union territories as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The removals are due to voters being absent, shifted, deceased, or duplicates.
The Election Commission of India is considering launching the final phase of its special intensive revision of voters' lists in the remaining states and Union territories after the assembly elections conclude.
Protests erupted across several districts of West Bengal over alleged harassment of people in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, leading to road blockages and tyre burning. Demonstrations were held in South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Jhargram, and Purba Medinipur.
Booth-level officers in Kerala boycotted work following the suicide of a colleague allegedly due to work strain related to the Special Intensive Revision exercise. Trade unions and political leaders are demanding investigations and changes to the process.
The Election Commission defended its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise for Bihar's voter list in the Supreme Court, calling it accurate and dismissing allegations of impropriety by political parties and NGOs.
Mohammed Shami on Tuesday appeared before poll officials in Kolkata for his scheduled hearing under the ongoing SIR exercise in West Bengal.
The Election Commission has defended its Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu in the Supreme Court, refuting allegations of mass deletion of genuine voters as exaggerated and politically motivated.
The Indian Army's Eastern Command has sought the intervention of West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose in connection with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's recent allegation that a senior army officer was using the command base at Fort William and working on the SIR exercise at the behest of the BJP.
Thousands of TMC supporters thronged the rally route, waving the party flags, raising slogans and holding aloft colourful posters.
The Congress party is seeking one Rajya Sabha seat in Jharkhand from the JMM and plans to discuss the matter with Chief Minister Hemant Soren, according to AICC Jharkhand in-charge K Raju.
The Supreme Court has allowed former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and others to file fresh applications regarding their claim that victory margins in 31 constituencies in the recent assembly polls were less than the deletion of votes during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has accused the TMC of conspiring to include infiltrators in electoral rolls, claiming the party objects to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) while those rightfully removed from the rolls did not protest.
West Bengal's Chief Electoral Officer reports over 10 lakh SIR enumeration forms identified as 'uncollectable' due to absentee voters, duplicates, deaths, or permanent relocation. The special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is underway with significant BLO involvement.
BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh has criticised the AAP government in Punjab, citing failures in tackling drug trafficking, mafia activities, and a deteriorating law and order situation. He urged party workers to launch awareness campaigns against drugs and assist in the Special Intensive Revision exercise for upcoming elections, envisioning a drug-free, fear-free, and development-oriented Punjab.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused authorities of deleting names of people from the Matua and minority communities from voter rolls in the state following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
The Supreme Court has transferred the investigation of the Malda incident, involving the gherao and attack on judicial officers, to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), citing concerns about the credibility of West Bengal's bureaucracy.
The Election Commission released the names of deleted voters in West Bengal ahead of the publication of the draft electoral rolls for the upcoming assembly elections.
