Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 28 : A day after the poll body announced to conduct the second phase of Special Intensive Revision across 12 States and Union Territories, Union Minister Anupriya Patel emphasised on Tuesday that the Election Commission is fully authorised to update electoral rolls.
"The Election Commission has full authority to amend the voter list. The names of fake voters should be removed, and all eligible voters should be on the voter list. There is no confusion among the voters. The names of fake voters should be removed; there is nothing wrong with it...," Patel told ANI
The opposition has voiced strong criticism of the move, with the ruling Trinamool Congress TMC in West Bengal alleging that the exercise will "snatch the voting rights of voters"
Addressing a press conference in Kolkata earlier today, Abhishek Banerjee said, "Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar has announced Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal in the middle of Chhath festivities. The SIR is not actually revision, but it is a way to exclude voters from the list and deprive them of their voting rights. Earlier, people used to vote to decide the government but now the government is deciding who should vote. When SIR was done in 2002, it took two years. And now in two months they will do it."
The Election Commission of India (ECI) will conduct the second phase of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across 12 States and Union Territories, with the final voter list to be published on February 7, 2026, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar said on Monday.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, CEC Kumar said the exercise will cover Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
According to the Election Commission, printing and training will take place from October 28 to November 3, followed by an Enumeration Phase from November to December 4. The Draft Electoral Rolls will be published on December 9, followed by a claims and objection period from December 9 to January 8, 2026. The Notice Phase (for hearing and verification) will take place between December 9 and January 31, 202, with publication of Final Electoral Rolls on February 7, 2026.
"The second phase of SIR (Special Intensive Revision) is about to be carried out in 12 States and UTs," the CEC said.