CEC Emphasises Importance of Accurate Electoral Rolls Amid SIR Debate

 Amid Oppn parties’ criticism of SIR, CEC says pure voters' list key to strengthen democracy

PTI, New Delhi, Jan 21, 2026: Against the backdrop of Opposition parties questioning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Wednesday asserted that a “pure” voters' list is the key to strengthening democracy.

Addressing the inaugural session of an international conference of election management bodies here, he also highlighted that not one complaint was filed challenging the inclusion or exclusion of electors during the roll revision exercise in Bihar last year.

Kumar also noted that not even a single re-poll was ordered in the two phases of the Bihar Assembly elections in any of the one lakh polling stations.

“Pure electoral roll, including each and every elector as per law, is essential to strengthen democracy and all elections which will be held on the basis of that electoral roll,” CEC Kumar said.

According to him, the electoral rolls in Bihar were revised amid tight public scrutiny. From the purification of rolls to the conduct of elections, a great level of efficiency was achieved by the local poll machinery, he said.

Opposition parties have been attacking the BJP government and the Election Commission over the SIR, alleging that it is a move to manipulate votes. However, the government and EC have denied the charge.

Phase II of the SIR began in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal on November 4 last year. In Assam, a separate “special revision” of electoral rolls is in progress.

The last SIR in the states serve as the cut-off date, just as the 2003 voter list of Bihar was used by the ECI for intensive revision. Most states had the last SIR of the voter list between 2002 and 2004.

The primary aim of the SIR is to weed out illegal immigrants by checking their place of birth. The move assumes significance in the wake of a crackdown in various states on illegal migrants, including those from Bangladesh and Myanmar.