eci-to-issue-separate-sir-order-for-assam-gyanesh-kumar

The Election Commission will issue a separate order for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Assam, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said on Monday, citing the State’s distinct provisions under the Citizenship Act, 1955.

 

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Kumar said the process of verifying citizenship in Assam, being conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Court, was in its final stages. “Under India’s Citizenship Act, there are separate provisions for Assam. The checking of citizenship there is about to be completed. So, separate orders for revision will be issued for Assam,” he stated.

 

Section 6A of the Citizenship Act provides for special provisions concerning persons covered under the Assam Accord, making the State’s electoral process different from that of the rest of the country.

 

The Chief Election Commissioner also announced the second phase of the SIR of electoral rolls in 12 States and Union Territories, excluding Assam. The exercise will cover Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

 

Also read: Assam govt to back EC’s voters’ list revision: Himanta

 

According to the Election Commission’s schedule, the printing and training phase will run from October 28 to November 3, followed by enumeration from November 4 to December 4. The draft electoral rolls will be published on December 9, with claims and objections accepted until January 8, 2026. The final rolls are set to be published on February 7, 2026.

 

Kumar also clarified the Commission’s position on the use of Aadhaar during the revision exercise. “As far as the Aadhaar Card is concerned, the Supreme Court has said that Aadhaar is to be used as per the Aadhaar Act. Section 9 of the Act says that Aadhaar will not be the proof of domicile or citizenship,” he said.

 

He added that Aadhaar could serve as proof of identity and be used for e-signing purposes, but not for determining citizenship or date of birth.

 

The Election Commission had earlier included Aadhaar among 12 indicative documents for verification in its September 9 order related to the SIR in Bihar.