Delhi officials gear up for expected revision of rolls

Delhi is preparing for what could be its first Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in over 15 years, with officials confirming that groundwork is underway for a potential large-scale house-to-house verification drive. The last such exercise in the Capital was carried out in 2008.

- Alok KN Mishra and Vrinda Tulsian

Earlier this month, the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Delhi uploaded electoral data from the 2008 SIR to its website. Despite no upcoming major elections in Delhi until at least 2027, the preparation for a new SIR signals a potential push by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to reboot voter rolls nationwide—an exercise officials say is necessary to ensure credibility, especially in urban centres where migration and rapid demographic shifts often distort electoral data.

Although no official communication has yet been received from ECI, officials in Delhi and other states have begun preparatory work.