- ECI announced Special Summary Revision across 17 states.
- Draft rolls publish November, final electoral rolls January 2027.
- Announcement follows Supreme Court notices challenging a separate revision.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced a Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls across 17 states and Union Territories ahead of the January 1, 2027 qualifying date, amid the ongoing political and legal standoff over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists.
Under the schedule announced on Thursday, draft electoral rolls will be published on November 12, while voters and other stakeholders can submit claims and objections until December 11. The final electoral rolls are scheduled to be published on January 4, 2027.
The exercise will cover states and Union Territories including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa, where the revision is aimed at ensuring that eligible voters, particularly young and first-time electors, are included in the electoral rolls while duplicate and deceased voters are removed.
The ECI has directed the 17 states and Union Territories to conduct the SSR under Section 21 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, with January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date.
Which States And UTs Will Undergo Special Summary Revision?
The SSR will be conducted in the following 17 states and Union Territories:
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Assam
- Bihar
- Chhattisgarh
- Goa
- Gujarat
- Kerala
- Lakshadweep
- Madhya Pradesh
- Manipur
- Puducherry
- Punjab
- Rajasthan
- Tamil Nadu
- Uttar Pradesh
- Uttarakhand
- West Bengal
The exercise is intended to update electoral rolls by including eligible voters and removing duplicate entries and the names of deceased voters.
However, states and Union Territories where the Special Intensive Revision is currently underway or has recently been completed will follow a separate schedule. The Commission said the timeline for these regions would be announced later.
ECI Announcement Comes Amid Supreme Court Challenge To SIR
The announcement comes shortly after the Supreme Court issued notices to the Election Commission, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi on a petition challenging the SIR exercise.
The petition was filed by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders, who have questioned the legality of the revision process and sought greater transparency in the preparation and updating of electoral rolls.
The development follows an Opposition march towards the Supreme Court on October 12, led by Gandhi, against the SIR exercise.
The petitioners have sought disclosure of the Election Commission’s records, publication of details of deleted voters, safeguards against arbitrary deletions and a mechanism to restore names removed from electoral rolls.
They have also sought a judicial audit of the revision process and suspension of the exercise across states until the court adjudicates the matter.
Rahul Gandhi, Kharge And Other INDIA Bloc Leaders Challenge SIR
Besides Rahul Gandhi, the petition was filed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut.
Other petitioners include Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader MA Baby, Communist Party of India leader D Raja, Mahua Majhi of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Supriya Sule of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar faction), Indian Union Muslim League leader Mohammed Basheer, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi president Thol. Thirumavalavan and former Jammu and Kashmir minister Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo.
The leaders have raised concerns over the legality and implementation of the SIR process, particularly regarding the deletion of names from electoral rolls and the safeguards available to affected voters.
CJI Declines Opposition Leaders’ Request For Appointment
The Opposition leaders had earlier sought an appointment with Chief Justice of India Surya Kant to raise concerns over the SIR process and demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The CJI declined the request, noting that the issues were already pending before the Supreme Court and that the leaders could seek relief through judicial proceedings.
The legal challenge has added to the wider political dispute over the revision of electoral rolls, with Opposition parties questioning the process and seeking safeguards against what they allege could be arbitrary deletions.
SSR Schedule: Key Dates
- Qualifying date: January 1, 2027
- Draft electoral rolls: November 12, 2026
- Deadline for claims and objections: December 11, 2026
- Final electoral rolls: January 4, 2027
The separate schedule for states and Union Territories where the SIR is ongoing or has recently concluded will be announced by the Election Commission later.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
