Voter roll shake-up! ECI extends SIR by a week, final list now on Feb 14

The poll body on Sunday revised the schedule for all stages of the exercise, which is currently in its last phase across 12 states.

As per the updated timeline, the enumeration period has been extended to December 11, the draft voter list will be released on December 16, and claims and objections can be filed between December 16, 2025 and January 15, 2026.

The revision follows strong protests by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal, a key poll-bound state.

A TMC delegation met ECI officials last week raising questions about the ongoing SIR that began on November 4.

The party has accused the Commission of acting under pressure from the BJP, which is seeking to form a government in West Bengal for the first time.

The TMC has further alleged that several Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have died by suicide due to intense work pressure related to SIR — incidents reported from West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh — sparking a major political confrontation between the BJP and the Opposition.

The SIR aims to remove names of deceased voters, eliminate duplicate entries, and identify illegal immigrants from the voter rolls.

“Detect, delete and deport,” said Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding SIR, which was conducted in Bihar earlier this year.