Guwahati, Nov 18 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated on Tuesday that a comprehensive Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state’s electoral rolls is contingent upon the official notification of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), a process he anticipates will be finalised by the middle of next year.

The Chief Minister’s remarks clarify the procedural holdup in undertaking a thorough cleanse of the voter list, a move deemed necessary to address persistent inaccuracies.

He explained that the current electoral rolls are plagued by significant discrepancies that undermine their integrity.

Citing specific issues, Sarma pointed to the presence of names belonging to deceased individuals, minors ineligible to vote, and married women whose entries have not been updated to reflect changes in their surnames or addresses. These errors, he indicated, highlight the urgent need for a systematic revision.

“The NRC has not been notified yet,” Sarma said, outlining the prerequisite for the SIR. “Once that is done — hopefully by mid-next year — the Special Intensive Revision can finally take place in Assam.”

In the interim, the Chief Minister confirmed that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed the state machinery to conduct a Special Summary Revision. This measure is intended as a corrective step to identify and rectify the existing anomalies in the voter list ahead of the more extensive NRC-linked exercise.

The announcement underscores the state government’s ongoing efforts to ensure the accuracy and reliability of Assam’s electoral database.

The Election Commission of India on Monday announced that Assam will undergo a Special Revision of its electoral rolls, an exercise that will culminate in the publication of the final voters’ list on February 10, 2026.

The decision comes at a time when the state is moving toward the 2026 Assembly elections, and the accuracy of the electoral roll remains central to political discourse in Assam.

According to officials, the process ordered for Assam is neither a routine annual summary revision nor as exhaustive as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) conducted recently in several other states.

It sits “somewhere in between,” with the Election Commission opting for a more targeted and improved verification mechanism.

Instead of using blank enumeration forms, booth-level officers will work with pre-filled registers to confirm, correct or update voter details, which the Commission believes will reduce errors and speed up verification.

–IANS

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