Overview

• The Election Commission has prepared for a national Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls but has not set dates, indicating state CEOs may meet political parties before the rollout.
• Bihar’s pilot concludes with a final roll due September 30 after roughly 65 lakh deletions marked by Booth Level Officers as deceased, shifted, duplicate, or untraceable.
• A September 10 conference in New Delhi saw Bihar’s CEO brief all states on strategies, constraints and practices to guide a broader implementation.
• Petitions in the Supreme Court challenge the SIR as a ‘backdoor’ citizenship check, while the EC cites Article 326 to justify eligibility verification and says such determinations do not cancel citizenship.
• Readiness varies by state, with Uttar Pradesh reporting completed preparations and directing district-level party meetings, as Kerala and Karnataka formally seek postponements citing clashes with local body elections and manpower constraints.