As the SIR dispute intensifies, EC begins a special campaign to register new voters and re-enroll those who were left out.

Twenty states and Union Territories where the nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has been finished have been instructed by the Election Commission (EC) to hold a “special campaign” to register eligible voters who might have been overlooked. The action is taken in response to claims that millions of eligible citizens have lost their right to vote as a result of the revision process.

Even though the Supreme Court has often said that removing a name from a SIR has no bearing on citizenship or welfare benefits, those whose names have been omitted have encountered issues ranging from having their PhD applications denied to having police refuse to verify their passports. Suvendu Adhikari, the chief minister of Bengal, has stated over and again that anybody removed from the SIR will not receive government assistance.

In all states and UTs, around 13 crore names were removed from the draft electoral rolls; Delhi had the most removals. The procedure by which voters are added to or removed from electoral rolls has also been questioned by the Commission.

The September 29 letter from the Election Commission’s Secretary to all CEOs states: “In State/UTs where SIR has already been completed, a special drive shall be undertaken by the Chief Electoral Officer, District Election Officers and EROs for the enrolment of left out and young/first time eligible electors under the process of continuous updation.”

In July, that drive will operate on a Form 6 without the question. After the previous SIR, the online form started asking applicants if they or their parents were on the voters’ list. It would not let them to submit without an answer, leaving an 18-year-old whose parents had been removed with no honest way to proceed.

The form can only be altered by the government by changing the regulations, which it hasn’t done. Sandhu referred to the move as “unauthorized/illegal” in August after both Commissioners had stated as much in May. The declaration is now limited to “SIR phase only” in the letter dated September 29. First-time voters and those who were “left out” will fill out the simple statutory form in the 20 states where the SIR has ended.

At a recent video conference, the Commission instructed state Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) to compare electoral rolls before and after the Special Inspection Round (SIR) to identify voters who were deleted or left out.

They are to conduct house visits to ensure eligible voters, especially first-time and young voters, complete Form 6 applications. The process aims to re-enroll omitted voters and enhance voter registration as a continuous effort. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will verify the electoral rolls and target 20 to 25 electors weekly for a month, collecting Form 6 applications on-site and ensuring transparency by sharing lists with political party agents.

Opposition parties have accused the Election Commission (EC) of colluding with the BJP and disenfranchising citizens through the Special Inclusion Review (SIR) process. Data indicates the voters’ lists for nine states and three Union territories have been reduced by 10.2%, removing over 60 lakh deceased voters. Although there are reports of internal disagreements within the EC regarding SIR decisions, the Commission asserts that all decisions were made unanimously. Election officials will now focus on identifying eligible voters who were excluded and facilitate the registration of new and young electors where the SIR is complete.