Phase-II of SIR in 12 states, UTs to begin November 4, final rolls out by February 7

Aadhaar not citizenship proof, but it can be valid identity document for SIR

- VINAY KUMAR

The second phase of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls will be held in 12 states and Union Territories between November and February next year, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar announced at a press conference here on Monday.

The states and Union Territories are the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Among these, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala and Puducherry will vote in high-stakes Assembly elections next year. The most populous state Uttar Pradesh will vote in 2027.

The CEC clarified that in Assam, where polls are also due in 2026, the revision of electoral rolls will be announced separately. Asked about it, the poll panel said that since citizenship rules for Assam ‘differ from the rest of the country’, voter list revision for the northeastern state will be held at a later date. Kumar said a separate provision of the Citizenship Act was applicable to Assam.

"Under the Citizenship Act, there are separate provisions for citizenship in Assam. Under the supervision of the Supreme Court, the exercise of checking citizenship is about to be completed. The June 24 SIR order was for the entire country. Under such circumstances, this would not have applied to Assam," Kumar said.