Calling the Special Intensive Revisions (SIRs) “unnecessary,” former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India SY Quraishi asserted that the implication of the exercise is that the existing rolls have been “thrown in the dustbin”.
Addressing a panel discussion on “Challenges to Electoral Integrity: Examining Recent Evidence of Electoral Manipulations” held in New Delhi on 31st March, Quraishi remarked: “Our system had already reached 99% accuracy, and this was done with an effort of 30 years… SIR wasn’t needed because the digitisation of electoral rolls was being attempted ever since Seshan saab’s tenure. The rolls had been digitised, and it had 99% accuracy.” For the unversed, T.N. Seshan was India’s CEC from 1990 to 1996.
The third phase of SIR, which are scheduled to take place from April 2026 onwards, will be carried out by the Election Commission of India (ECI) across many states and UTs including Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, and NCT of Delhi, Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Ladakh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Sikkim, Tripura, Telangana and Uttarakhand, according to the poll panel.
The first phase of SIR began in Bihar, ahead of the 2025 assembly elections. The poll panel conducted the second phase in 12 states and UTs, namely Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.
See also: CPI-M's Hannan Mollah questions SIR process in Bengal, alleges voter deletions
The opposition has vehemently opposed the SIR practice, accusing the ECI of colluding with the BJP and acting on the party’s behest.
Quraishi further said: “Under Article 326, the electoral roll must be perfect. Earlier, there also used to be perfection. If any gap is there, Summary Revision can be done. This revision is very simple. Under this, the existing electoral roll would be taken door to door, the household would be shown the names of electors to verify, besides giving a form for addition or deletion if necessary.” The former Chief Election Commissioner also questioned the rushed timeline for this process, questioning, “Why the need to complete it in just two months?”
See also: Mamata Banerjee should answer why Bengal is only state where SIR faced so many hurdles: HM Shah
On the 60 lakh names marked "under adjudication" in West Bengal's final electoral roll after the SIR exercise, Quraishi noted, "As the elections are nearer. Even if the existing 20 lakh adjudication could not be done, they should be allowed to vote. Because it's not their fault." Notably, around 60 lakh names were placed "under adjudication" in the final roll released on February 28, 2026 following the SIR exercise in West Bengal. Subsequently, 705 judicial officers were tasked with deciding whether to retain or remove these names.
The supplementary list covers voters whose cases these officers have reviewed. Those deemed excludable can appeal to one of the 19 Appellate Tribunals set up statewide.
West Bengal's 2026 Assembly elections are set for two phases on 23rd and 29th April.
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