India Conducts Massive Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls Across Multiple States

The Election Commission of India is conducting a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across several states to remove bogus, duplicate, and ineligible voters, including deceased individuals and illegal immigrants. The current phase of the exercise involves approximately 400,000 Booth Level Officers visiting 367.3 million electors. This phase covers states including Karnataka, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Delhi, and Odisha, among others. Once completed, the entire country except Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh will have been covered by the SIR process.

In Bengaluru, Karnataka, nearly 50 percent of registered voters have been flagged for potential removal. Out of 1.03 crore voters, 49.42 lakh are categorized as Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate, or Other (ASDDO). The highest proportion of deletions is expected in the Bommanahalli constituency, where 57.08 percent of mapped voters were flagged. Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukumar stated that these entries are backed by spot mahazars signed by booth level agents from recognized political parties. Voters can rectify their status by August 8, and a verification phase will run from August 17 to October 15.

In Meghalaya, the draft electoral roll for 2026 shows a decline of 180,402 voters, reducing the total electorate from 2.35 million to 2.17 million. The revision identified 81,490 deceased voters and 45,011 untraceable or absent electors. Additionally, the commission approved the creation of 86 new polling stations in Meghalaya to improve accessibility.

In Maharashtra, the ECI granted a second extension for the SIR until August 17 following requests from civil society groups and political parties. The draft electoral roll for the state is scheduled for publication on August 24. As of recently, the process was completed for 74.04 percent of voters in Maharashtra, though rates were lower in Mumbai and Thane.

Framing of the exercise varies across reports. Center-right sources describe the process as a cleansing drive to remove ineligible voters and improve accessibility. Center sources focus on the logistical scale and the specific mechanisms for voter correction. One center source characterizes the process as bureaucratic misery for millions of Indians. Furthermore, opposition parties have alleged that the SIR is a strategic clean up drive to benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), citing a contentious exercise in West Bengal where nearly nine million voters were deleted.