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India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) triggers widespread voter roll controversies
The Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has drawn significant scrutiny and political controversy across multiple regions.
In Sikkim, the final electoral roll published on September 6 shows that 54,209 electors were removed. These exclusions include 37,737 individuals categorized as Absent, Shifted, Dead, or Duplicate (ASDD) and 16,485 found ineligible during hearings. The final roll contains 418,467 electors.
In Delhi, a report by the Sabar Institute indicates that approximately 4.75 million enumeration forms could not be collected, representing 32.8% of the electorate. This scale of exclusion exceeds the winning margins in 68 of the capital’s 70 constituencies in the 2025 Assembly election. Local audits in Mangolpuri also reported significant gaps between previous rolls and the draft SIR list.
In Telangana, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has alleged a conspiracy to delete one crore voters, specifically targeting Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and minorities. He accused the BJP of using private agencies to systematically remove anti-BJP votes.
Other reports highlight logistical challenges, including voters in Telangana receiving notices after hearing dates had already passed, and senior citizens in Bengaluru facing confusion and long wait times at verification centers. In Karnataka, the system has flagged ‘logical discrepancies’ such as twins having an age gap of less than nine months.
Entities
Ashok Lavasa · Association for Democratic Reforms · Delhi · Election Commission of India · Revanth Reddy · SY Quraishi · Sabar Institute · Sikkim
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] In Sikkim, 54,209 names were removed from the electoral rolls following the SIR exercise. desitalkchicago.com · newsable.asianetnews.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Former CEC SY Quraishi claimed the SIR exercise has eliminated approximately 14 to 15 crore people from the population. www.news18.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] In Nagpur, voters facing discrepancies will receive written reasons for the acceptance or rejection of their registration. thelivenagpur.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) aims to ensure electoral rolls are accurate and free of duplicate entries. desitalkchicago.com · nagalandpost.com · newsable.asianetnews.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] In Delhi, uncollectable enumeration forms represented 32.8% of the electorate during the SIR. thehindustangazette.com · www.counterview.net
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Former EC Ashok Lavasa questioned the fairness of the SIR, describing it as a 'might is right' approach. madhyamamonline.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Election Commission removed 54,209 names from Sikkim’s electoral rolls following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). desitalkchicago.com · newsable.asianetnews.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy alleged a conspiracy to delete one crore voters in Telangana during the SIR process. munsifdaily.com · indtoday.com