SIR Date Announced: Intensive Revision of Voter List in the State After 23 Years! BLO to Visit Door-to-Door, Know the Complete Process and Schedule

SIR Date Announced: West Bengal is set to witness a major exercise before the upcoming assembly elections. After a gap of nearly 23 years, a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list is going to be conducted in the state. The announcement was made by the Chief Election Commissioner of India, Gyanesh Kumar, during a press conference at Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi on Monday. Besides West Bengal, this process will be carried out in 11 other states. The last time SIR was conducted in this state was in 2002.

According to the Election Commission, the SIR in Bengal will commence on Tuesday, 27th October. This process is slightly different from the regular voter list revision. Here, individuals will have to produce documents specified by the Election Commission to get their names included in the voter list.

How will the SIR process work?

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar cited the successful implementation of SIR in Bihar. He stated that following its success in Bihar, the exercise will now be initiated in 12 states, including West Bengal.

• ‘Freezing’ the Voter List: The current voter list in the states undergoing SIR will be ‘frozen’ at midnight on Monday.
• Door-to-Door Visits by BLOs: Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit every voter’s house. A BLO may visit a single voter’s house up to three times.
• Form Filling: Voters will have to fill out an enumeration form. BLOs will assist them in this process.
• Document Verification: Along with filling in details like name, address, EPIC card number, and date of birth, necessary documents must be shown. However, those whose names were on the 2003 voter list, or whose parents’ names are on it, will not have to submit new documents.
• Online Facility: Voters residing outside the state or NRIs can also fill out the form online.

Political Context and Trinamool’s Objections

From the very beginning, the ruling Trinamool Congress in the state has been opposing the SIR process. They claim that the BJP is using SIR as a shield to exclude a section of voters in Bengal from the list and that it is a precursor to the NRC. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has warned that if even one eligible voter’s name is dropped, the protest will reach the doors of Delhi.

In which 12 states will SIR be conducted?

Apart from West Bengal, this special intensive revision will be conducted in Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Complete Schedule for the SIR Process

The Election Commission has announced a specific timeline for the entire process.

The 2026 assembly elections will be held based on this final voter list.