Why the rush for SIR in other States, ask Opposition parties

Soon after the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in 12 States, Opposition parties on Monday (October 27, 2025) questioned the need to “rush” into other States when the Supreme Court is already hearing the case regarding the SIR in poll-bound Bihar.

Opposition parties said the move should not become an “excuse” to delete legitimate voters. Questioning the exercise, the Congress alleged that the poll body’s intentions and credibility were under suspicion as neither the voters nor the Opposition were satisfied with it.

“We have not yet received answers to the questions related to the SIR conducted in Bihar so far. The situation was such that the Supreme Court had to step in several times to rectify the SIR in Bihar. The intentions of the Election Commission and the BJP, which has made the EC its puppet, regarding Bihar’s SIR have already come to light before the entire country,” Congress’ media and publicity head Pawan Khera said in a video message.

“Whenever SIR happens, Election Commission employees go to every house, add new voters, and delete those who need to be deleted. But not even a singe voter has been added in Bihar, whereas 65 lakh votes have been deleted as part of the SIR exercise, which raises several questions,” Mr. Khera said.

The States and Union Territories where the SIR would be undertaken are the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

Of these, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, and West Bengal will go to the polls in 2026. Assam, another poll-bound State next year, however, will not have the SIR now.

CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby said the Kerala Legislative Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution against conducting such an exercise when the State is at the threshold of elections to local bodies and the Assembly. “The manner in which the EC has turned a deaf ear to all demands for transparency only validates doubts that they are acting at the behest of the ruling party and its nefarious plot to manipulate voter lists,” Mr. Baby said in a statement.

‘Bihar a lesson for all’

CPI General Secretary D. Raja said the EC, a constitutional body, is mandated to ensure that every legitimate citizen gets to exercise his right to vote. “What happened in Bihar is a lesson not only to the political parties but also to the EC. They [EC] must ensure a level playing field,” Mr. Raja told The Hindu.

National Conference leader and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, speaking to reporters in his Assembly office chamber, said there were already apprehensions about SIR in Bihar and the EC shouldn’t rush into other States.

“It is not clear yet whether there will be any benefits from this exercise. Let the elections in Bihar be completed, then we will see whether it was beneficial at all. Then we can talk about implementing it in the rest of the country,” Mr. Abdullah said.