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The Election Commission of India has initiated the first phase of its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists, targeting 10-15 states, including Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry, which are set for assembly polls in 2026. This exercise, aimed at updating electoral rolls, has ignited significant political controversy, particularly in states governed by opposition parties.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin of Tamil Nadu has strongly opposed the SIR, alleging it is a politically motivated attempt to remove vulnerable voters, including minorities, women, and the working class. He cited Bihar, where similar deletions affected over 65 lakh people, and urged his DMK cadres to safeguard voting rights. In Kerala, the State Assembly unanimously passed a resolution against the SIR, marking the first legislative body to formally reject the initiative.
West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also criticised the move, expressing fears that it could be a mechanism to implement the NRC and vowing that her TMC party would resist arbitrary voter deletions. The EC maintains the SIR aims to ensure accurate voter records by removing duplicates, missing persons, and deceased voters.
