The Election Commission (EC) has decided to roll out Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Delhi. The exercise by the Election Commission (EC) is to ensure the integrity of voter lists. The dates for the exercise in the national capital will be announced later. During the SIR, residents whose names do not appear on the 2002 voter list will be required to present identity proof.
The Delhi CEO’s office has made the 2002 voter list and a mapping of current and 2002 Assembly constituencies available online to facilitate the process for residents. As of the recent Special Summary Revision-2025, Delhi has over 1.55 crore registered voters, a number the SIR aims to verify and update.
The CEO’s office has requested people to go through the voter list of 2002 to verify their and their parents’ names. It said, “This would be helpful during the House to House (H2H) visit by BLOs during SIR for collecting Enumeration Forms from the public along with required documents. Those whose names appear in the voter lists of 2002 and 2025 shall have to submit only Enumeration Forms along with extract of voter list of 2002.”
House-to-house verification
The EC has initiated preparations for the SIR across the country to fulfil its constitutional mandate of maintaining accurate electoral rolls. The Delhi Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office has started the groundwork, including appointing and training Booth-Level Officers (BLOs) in all Assembly constituencies. The CEO’s office has urged Delhi residents to check the 2002 voter list on their website to verify their own names and those of their parents.
The process of verification is streamlined for those on the 2002 list. If a person’s name is on both the 2002 and 2025 voter lists, they will only need to submit an Enumeration Form along with a copy of the 2002 voter list extract. However, if a person’s name is not on the 2002 list, but their parents’ names are, they must submit an identity proof in addition to the Enumeration Form and the 2002 voter list extract for their parents.
Controversy and purpose of the SIR
The SIR initiative has begun political debate, particularly after a similar exercise in Bihar resulted in the number of registered voters dropping from 7.9 crore to 7.24 crore. Opposition parties alleged that the revision was a politically motivated attempt to disenfranchise voters. However, the EC has maintained that the SIR’s sole purpose is to create an accurate and error-free electoral roll, ensuring all eligible citizens are included while removing ineligible ones.
(With PTI Inputs)