‘Expected in April’: ECI Announces Third Phase of Special Intensive Revision Across 22 States and UTs

Key Points

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has asked Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of 22 States and Union Territories to prepare for Phase 3 of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which is “expected to start from April 2026.”

In a letter issued on 19 February 2026, the ECI directed poll authorities in the remaining States and UTs to complete all preparatory work “at the earliest.” This includes 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 NCT of Delhi, Odisha, Punjab, Sikkim, Tripura, Telangana and Uttarakhand.

The SIR is a comprehensive revision exercise that entails preparing electoral rolls afresh. Unlike the routine annual updates involving additions and deletions, the SIR requires all existing registered electors to submit enumeration forms, with certain categories required to furnish additional documents to establish eligibility, including citizenship.

The SIR involves door-to-door verification, removal of duplicate or ineligible entries and inclusion of eligible voters who may have been left out of the rolls. The ECI has not conducted a full intensive revision of rolls since the early 2000s, instead relying on periodic updates before each election.

See Also: ‘Justice Is Crying Behind Closed Doors’: CM Mamata During Her Unprecedented Showdown at Supreme Court SIR Hearing Today

Phase 3 of the Special Intensive Revision

The ECI had ordered the nationwide SIR on 24 June 2025, beginning with Bihar ahead of its Assembly election in November 2025. Following the first phase in Bihar, the Commission initiated the second phase on 27 October 2025 in 12 States and Union Territories – Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The process in these States has seen multiple extensions, with Uttar Pradesh receiving the most additional time to complete the exercise, and several controversies, with the Supreme Court stepping in to appoint special judicial officers to oversee the process in West Bengal.

Assam, however, is undergoing a separate “special revision” rather than an SIR. The ECI cited legal hurdles linked to the incomplete National Register of Citizens (NRC) process and the State’s unique legal status under Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955.

In the recent communication, the ECI reminded CEOs that it had earlier written on 5 July 2025, directing all States except Bihar to initiate pre-revision activities. The latest letter reiterates the need to complete preparatory work before the anticipated April launch. This includes mapping existing voters with electoral rolls from 2002–2004, when the last intensive revision was conducted, and training booth-level officers (BLOs) who will carry out the door-to-door verification.

See Also: Rajasthan SIR Row: Allegations of Targeted Muslim Voters Deletions in Adarsh Nagar Constituency Raises Concerns About SIR Process

Contentions with Phase 3 of the SIR

Even as preparations begin for the third phase, the SIR continues to be challenged in the Supreme Court. Petitions contesting the ECI’s authority to determine citizenship as part of the exercise were filed before the Supreme Court in 2025. Petitioners have argued that citizenship verification falls outside the ECI’s remit under the Representation of the People Act, 1950. The apex court has reserved its judgment in the matter.

The SIR has also been heavily criticized by the opposition and activists for being untransparent and unregulated. Several reports have highlighted mass exclusion or contestation of names, arbitrary decisions by the ECI, and immense pressure on BLOs due to strict timelines. The ECI itself has been criticized for allegedly colluding with the ruling BJP government for political gain.

The April timeline for the SIR also coincides with the scheduled commencement of the first phase of the Population Census 2027. The house listing operation is set to begin on 1 April 2026, with around 30 lakh enumerators to be deployed nationwide, most of whom are government school teachers. BLOs responsible for SIR door-to-door verification are also largely drawn from the same pool of government school teachers.

The ECI announced that it had held meetings with the Registrar General of India and the Census Commissioner to discuss staggered utilisation of administrative resources to manage both exercises.

Officials have said that detailed schedules for the third phase of SIR will be announced later. Elections are not scheduled in the remaining 22 States and UTs this year.

[DS]

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