CPI-M demands Election Commission stop "flawed" SIR process

New Delhi [India], November 29 (ANI): The CPI(M) on Saturday reiterated its strong opposition to the manner in which the Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls is being carried out across the country, demanding a halt to the process, which they believed is "being conducted in a tearing hurry and poorly planned manner"
CPI(M) in a statement said that the entire exercise is being conducted in a tearing hurry and poorly planned manner. "Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have been given impossible deadlines to complete the door-to-door verification. This haste has led to complaints in several places of BLOs camping in some Party offices and asking voters to visit them. All these will inevitably lead to mass exclusion and errors," they said in the statement.
"The immense pressure that has befallen the BLOs has already claimed many lives. They are working under crushing workloads, without adequate rest or safeguards. These are not accidental casualties - they are the direct outcome of an irresponsible and inhuman administrative process." CPI(M) added
CPI(M) further added that it is also shocking that the Election Commission is not using its own duplicate-voter detection software, a tool specifically created to ensure accuracy and reduce manual burdens. This raises serious concerns about the real intent and purpose behind the current revision.
This is compounded by the fact that both BLOs and ordinary voters who want to upload forms are experiencing issues with internet connectivity, unstable servers, and repeated technical failures. For many - especially for marginalised sections and in rural areas - uploading a simple form has become an ordeal, effectively creating new barriers to voter inclusion.
The Polit Bureau of CPI(M) demanded that the Election Commission immediately halt this flawed process and stop the disenfranchisement of a large number of people.
The Election Commission of India is conducting the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls across 12 states and Union Territories, with the final voter list scheduled to be published on February 7, 2026.
The first phase of SIR was completed in Bihar in September ahead of the Assembly elections. The exercise covers Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. (ANI)