New Delhi, Jan 15 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) has extended the timeline for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Puducherry, Goa, Lakshadweep, Rajasthan, and West Bengal, pushing the deadline for filing claims and objections to January 19, 2026, a notification said.

This decision, notified through a letter on Thursday, follows requests from Chief Electoral Officers and consideration of relevant factors to ensure comprehensive inclusion of eligible voters.

The notification, addressed to the Chief Electoral Officers of these states and union territories, references the Commission’s earlier letter dated December 27, 2025, which outlined the SIR schedule with January 1, 2026, as the qualifying date.

The extension applies specifically to the period for submitting claims and objections, allowing more time for voters to verify their details, file inclusions via Form 6 with required declarations, or raise objections.

The ECI directed immediate publication of the notification in the extraordinary issue of the State Gazettes, with three copies to be sent for the Commission’s records.

Chief Electoral Officers have been instructed to ensure wide publicity about the extension through all available channels, including media, BLOs, and online platforms like the voters.eci.gov.in portal and ECINet app.

All concerned officers must strictly adhere to the revised schedule to maintain transparency and accuracy in the electoral process.

This SIR exercise, part of a nationwide effort to update voter lists ahead of 2026 assembly elections in several states including West Bengal, Puducherry, and others, aims to include every eligible citizen while removing ineligible entries due to migration, deaths, duplicates, or other discrepancies.

Earlier revisions had adjusted enumeration periods (ending December 11, 2025, for most of these states) and draft roll publication (on December 16, 2025), with final rolls slated for February 2026.

Eligible new voters, including first-timers, are urged to submit Form 6 promptly to Booth Level Officers or online. Political parties and civil society groups have welcomed the move, noting it provides additional safeguards against errors in the intensive verification process.

–IANS

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