Voter rolls will be frozen tonight; SIR to begin in 12 states, including Kerala

NEW DELHI: The second phase of the nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) will be implemented from midnight today, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said. In the second phase, the SIR will be implemented in 12 states and union territories, including Kerala. He was speaking at a press conference in Delhi.

The process will start in 12 states, including Kerala, from tomorrow. The voter rolls will be frozen from midnight today in places where the SIR is being conducted. Aadhaar card will be considered as an identity document. Apart from Kerala, the nationwide SIR will be implemented initially in 12 places, including the states of Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and the union territories of Puducherry, Lakshadweep and Andaman. The draft list of the SIR will be revised. The final list will be released on February 7.

The first phase of SIR has been completed in Bihar. The Election Commission clarified that they did not receive a single appeal in Bihar. From 1951 to 2004, the electoral roll was revised eight times in the country. As part of the procedures for the nationwide SIR, training for BLOs and others will begin from tomorrow. Applications can also be filled out online. CEOs will discuss and explain the SIR with political parties. Gyanesh Kumar also clarified that training will also be provided to booth-level agents nominated by political parties.