Election Commission of India Directs Special Summary Revision of Electoral Rolls Across 17 States and Union Territories

The Election Commission of India has directed 17 states and Union Territories to carry out a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls, setting January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date. The exercise covers states including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, and West Bengal, among others, with final rolls to be published on January 4, 2027. The announcement coincides with ongoing legal proceedings in the Supreme Court and political controversy over the Special Intensive Revision exercise.

A directive from the Election Commission of India, issued on Thursday, calls on 17 states and Union Territories to carry out a Special Summary Revision of their electoral rolls, with voter eligibility assessed against a qualifying date of January 1, 2027.

The drive targets first-time voters alongside other eligible participants and is also intended to address inaccuracies in current records, with the electoral rolls standing to benefit from the exercise.

The states and Union Territories brought within scope of the directive are Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal. Dates for states and Union Territories where the Special Intensive Revision process is either underway or has lately concluded are to be communicated through a separate notice.

In instructions issued to chief secretaries across all states, the Commission directed that staffing levels and operational resources for every tier of personnel engaged in the revision process — spanning Chief Electoral Officers, District Election Officers, Electoral Registration Officers, Assistant Electoral Registration Officers, BLO supervisors, and Booth Level Officers — be kept at sufficient levels. Under the directive, the Electoral Registration Officer for each area carries accountability for maintaining an accurate roll, one that captures every qualifying voter while keeping those who do not meet eligibility requirements off the list.

According to the timetable set out by the Commission, polling station consolidation and redistribution are scheduled to conclude by November 2, 2026. Integrated draft electoral rolls are due to be published on November 12, after which voters will have until December 11 to lodge claims or objections. Those claims and objections are scheduled to be resolved no later than December 28, with the verified electoral rolls set for release on January 4, 2027.

The directive was issued while a dispute over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls remained before the courts. The Supreme Court issued response notices to the Election Commission, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi after a petition filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, together with nine other INDIA bloc leaders, brought the Special Intensive Revision exercise under judicial consideration.

Opposition parties raised objections to voter-name removals that took place during the revision process and also challenged the additional declaration attached to Form 6 applications submitted while the SIR was in progress. Opposition groups also held rallies in New Delhi calling for the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner.

The states falling within the scope of the proposed revision include those where Assembly elections are scheduled in 2027. The assemblies of Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Goa, Punjab, and Uttarakhand each reach the end of their respective mandates at separate points during that year.