New Delhi, January 15 (IANS). The Election Commission of India (ECI) has extended the deadline for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Puducherry, Goa, Lakshadweep, Rajasthan and West Bengal. Under this, the last date for filing claims and objections has now been extended to January 19, this information was given in a notification.
This decision was communicated through a letter on Thursday. This step has been taken after considering the demands of the Chief Electoral Officers and factors to ensure inclusion of all eligible voters in the list.
This notification has been addressed to the Chief Electoral Officers of these states and union territories. It also refers to the Commission’s earlier letter dated December 27, 2025, in which the schedule of SIR (Special Intensive Review) was mentioned and January 1, 2026 was fixed as the eligibility date.
The time limit applies only to the period for filing claims and objections. This means voters now have more time to check their details, get names added by filling Form 6 with required declarations or raise objections.
The Election Commission has directed that this notification should be immediately published in special issues of the state gazettes and three copies of it should be sent for the records of the Commission.
Chief Electoral Officers have been asked to widely disseminate information about this extension through all mediums, such as media, Booth Level Officers (BLOs), and online portals and apps.
All concerned officials have been asked to strictly follow the revised schedule so that transparency and accuracy is maintained in the election process.
This SIR exercise is part of updating voter lists ahead of assembly elections in several states in 2026. Its objective is to include every eligible citizen in the list and to remove non-eligible entries (such as transfer, death, duplicate or other errors).
The earlier amendments included extension of the nomination period (ending on 11 December 2025 in most states) and publication of the draft list (16 December 2025). The final list will be released in February 2026.
New and first-time eligible voters have been advised to submit Form 6 to booth level officials or online as soon as possible. Political parties and civil society groups have welcomed the move.
–IANS
AMT/DKP