Overview
- India’s Election Commission has begun a second-phase Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in 12 states and Union Territories, with final rolls due on February 7, 2026.
- Following an all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister MK Stalin, Tamil Nadu’s political groups said they will petition the Supreme Court to halt or defer the exercise in the state as the court continues hearings linked to Bihar, with the next hearing on Tuesday.
- Critics point to large-scale removals in Bihar’s first phase—reports range from at least 47 lakh to 68 lakh deletions—and question how Aadhaar will be used for verification after the court allowed it as valid ID in that case.
- Kerala’s ruling Left Democratic Front has urged a review of the plan and noted that the state Assembly previously passed a resolution opposing the revision.
- The Election Commission says the SIR is a statutory, house-to-house audit to include eligible voters and remove ineligible entries, not to identify infiltrators, with draft rolls, objection windows, and notice requirements before deletions.