The Election Commission of India (ECI) is scheduled to conduct a comprehensive review of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu between November 24 and 26. This was announced by Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) and State Government Secretary, Archana Patnaik.
The SIR process, which commenced on November 4, requires citizens to submit applications for inclusion, deletion, or correction in the voter list by December 4. This exercise is currently being carried out concurrently across nine states and three Union Territories.
Significantly, several political parties in Tamil Nadu, including the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, have filed petitions with the Supreme Court challenging the ECI's decision regarding the revision.
In a press statement, CEO Archana Patnaik confirmed that senior ECI officials would be visiting Tamil Nadu to take stock of the progress achieved under the 2025 Special Intensive Revision and to supervise district-level activities.
According to the official release, the review will involve several key ECI personnel:
P Pavan (Deputy Director, ECI) and Devansh Tiwari (Media Division, ECI) will evaluate media coordination strategies and voter awareness initiatives linked to the revision during their visit to Chennai from November 24 to 26. They are also set to inspect field-level survey activities being carried out as part of the revision.
Krishnakumar Tiwari (Director, ECI) will travel to the Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts to assess the work being undertaken by Booth Level Officers (BLOs). His inspection will focus on the distribution of tally sheets, the verification of entries, and the digital updating of voter data, which form the foundation of this intensive revision.
Madhusudan Gupta (Secretary, ECI) is said to review the special revision activities in the Chennai and Chengalpattu districts. His review will cover the progress of voter list corrections, door-to-door verification, and the performance of field teams.
The CEO highlighted that the SIR process is designed to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the 2025 electoral rolls well in advance of major elections next year.
The officials' visit will serve to scrutinise challenges encountered on the ground, ensure full adherence to guidelines, and strengthen the mechanisms for public participation. The ECI is expected to issue further guidelines following the statewide assessment, even as the Supreme Court continues to hear petitions questioning the current revision's timing and scope.
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