Overview
- West Bengal officials were directed to conduct SIR verifications at the residences of electors aged 85 and above and those who are sick or disabled, with phone outreach replacing in‑person summons where notices were already issued.
- The Commission reiterated that party Booth Level Agents are not permitted inside hearing venues in West Bengal and warned officials of liability for violations, after protests and stoppages led by a Trinamool MLA and an incident in which an EC observer’s vehicle was damaged.
- Local reports detailed distress cases linked by families to SIR notices, including the death of an 82‑year‑old in Purulia, as queues formed at hearing sites before the home‑hearing directive was issued.
- Mamata Banerjee labeled the SIR a scam and alleged AI‑driven deletions, vowing a gherao of the EC in Delhi if legitimate voters are removed, while a TMC delegation is set to meet the Chief Election Commissioner on December 31 and Abhishek Banerjee welcomed the home‑hearing relief.
- The Election Commission revised Uttar Pradesh’s SIR timeline with the draft roll now due January 6, claims and objections open January 6 to February 6, the final roll on March 6, and officials indicating about 2.89 crore deletions from the pre‑SIR list for reasons such as death, migration or duplication.