In Rajasthan, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list has commenced today. A total of 52,469 BLOs will be mobilized to enumerate 5.48 crore voters. This process will continue until February 7, 2026. Following the Election Commission's announcement, political activity in the state has intensified.
Jaipur: The Election Commission will conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter lists in 12 states across the country. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar formally announced this program, stating that its objective is to make voter lists more transparent and error-free. However, this move by the Election Commission has sparked a new controversy in Rajasthan's politics, as the opposition has labeled it a conspiracy to remove names from the voter list.
SIR Commences in 12 States Across the Country
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar stated in a press conference that SIR will be implemented in 12 states and union territories across the country, including Rajasthan.
Rajasthan's Chief Electoral Officer, Naveen Mahajan, said that the state is fully prepared for this process. All Booth Level Officers (BLOs), supervisors, and help desk personnel have been trained. This process will begin on October 28, 2025, and continue until February 7, 2026. During this period, every voter's data will be verified, and fake or duplicate names will be removed.
Over 52 Thousand BLOs to Conduct Enumeration Work
According to Mahajan, training and enumeration form printing will take place from October 28 to November 3. House-to-house surveys and form distribution will be carried out from November 4 to December 4. The draft voter list will be published on December 9.
Following this, claims and objections will be registered from December 9 to January 8, with hearings continuing until January 31. Finally, the revised and final voter list will be published on February 7, 2026. In this process, 52,469 BLOs across the state will verify voter information.
Public Awareness Campaign Launched Alongside Voter Verification
The Chief Electoral Officer informed that refresher sessions would be organized for BLOs, volunteers, and helpdesk personnel. Their daily progress will be recorded to enable assessment at the District Election Officer and CEO levels.
Additionally, a public awareness campaign will be conducted, encouraging online applications in colleges, panchayats, and schools. Self-help groups and the “Rajsakhi” network will be engaged to increase women's participation. Media cells have been formed at the district level, and only the District Election Officer will issue official statements.
Political Statements Intensify Over SIR
Following the announcement of SIR in Rajasthan, political activity has escalated. The Congress has alleged that this process is an attempt to remove the names of Dalit, tribal, backward, and minority voters from the voter list. Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot stated that it is inappropriate to proceed with this process when the matter is sub judice in the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra has linked it to “the violation of democratic rights.”
On the other hand, the Election Commission asserts that the objective of SIR is to ensure transparency and fairness, not to target any specific community. In the coming months, this process is expected to become a significant issue in Rajasthan's politics.
