The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday announced the launch of the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise aimed at cleaning and updating voter lists across 12 states and Union Territories. The announcement came during a press conference held in New Delhi, led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
The SIR is a nationwide initiative to identify duplicate, outdated, and invalid voter entries to ensure a more accurate electoral roll. The first phase was recently completed in Bihar, where assembly elections are due next month.
<h3 data-start="813" data-end="858">States covered under the second phase</h3>
According to the Election Commission, the second phase of the SIR will be conducted in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar said the voter lists in these regions will be frozen tonight, after which the field verification process will begin. The Commission&rsquo;s teams will work with state officials and booth-level officers to ensure every genuine voter is included and each duplicate entry is removed.
<h3 data-start="1410" data-end="1457">No confrontation with state governments</h3>
Addressing concerns about West Bengal, where the SIR exercise has drawn political attention, CEC Gyanesh Kumar clarified that there is&nbsp;&ldquo;no confrontation between the Election Commission and the state government.&rdquo; &ldquo;The Commission is doing its duty, and the state government will discharge its duties,&rdquo; he said.
When asked about the security of booth workers in politically sensitive states, particularly West Bengal, Gyanesh Kumar responded, &ldquo;It&rsquo;ll be fine. We believe the law and order situation will remain under control. States are bound to provide the necessary personnel to the EC for electoral roll preparation and conduct of polls.&rdquo;
<h3 data-start="2110" data-end="2153">Handling of duplicate voter entries</h3>
Explaining how the Commission plans to handle duplication in voter rolls, the CEC said, &ldquo;Only one enumeration form is printed for each individual. If a person&rsquo;s name appears in multiple voter lists, multiple forms will be printed, but only someone attempting wrongdoing would sign on more than one form. A normal person will sign on just one.&rdquo;
The Election Commission has described the SIR as an essential step toward ensuring free, fair, and transparent elections across the country. The exercise, which began earlier this year, has already helped identify discrepancies in multiple states, with the next phase expected to bring the process closer to completion before key assembly and national elections in 2026.
The ECI also emphasized that the revision will be &ldquo;data-driven, transparent, and verifiable&rdquo;, with updated rolls expected to be published after on-ground verification.
This is a developing story, and more details are expected as the Election Commission releases further directives on timelines and state-level implementation.

EC launches 2nd phase of voter list revision

Election Commission to conduct SIR exercise across 12 states, says no clash with Bengal

EC launches 2nd phase of voter list revision

Election Commission to conduct SIR exercise across 12 states, says no clash with Bengal

October 27, 2025 | 17:45 IST