Election Commission extended SIR deadline, schedule changed in 4 states including Delhi, know new dates

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday extended the deadline for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Delhi, Punjab, Telangana and Karnataka. Under the changed schedule, the dates for door-to-door verification, publication of draft voter list and release of final voter list have been changed.

Door-to-door verification work by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in Delhi will now continue till August 8 instead of July 29. At the same time, the draft voter list will now be published on 17th August instead of 5th August. In Punjab, the deadline for door-to-door verification has been extended from July 24 to August 3. The state’s draft voter list will now be published on August 13 instead of July 31, while the final voter list will be released on October 12 instead of October 10.

Telangana and Karnataka schedule

As per the changed schedule for Telangana, the draft voter list will be published on August 10 and the final list will be released on October 12. Similarly, door-to-door verification of BLOs in Karnataka will now continue till August 8. The draft voter list in the state will be published on August 17 instead of August 5, while the final voter list will be released on October 19 instead of October 7.

SIR schedule of Haryana and Andhra Pradesh also extended

Earlier on Tuesday, the Election Commission had also extended the SIR schedule for Haryana and Andhra Pradesh. Delhi, Punjab, Telangana, Karnataka, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh are part of the third phase of SIR, which started on May 14. According to the Election Commission, after the end of the third phase, the process of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) will be completed in almost all the states and union territories of the country except Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The Election Commission has made changes in the SIR schedule several times in the past due to various administrative and technical reasons.

Why did the Election Commission change the schedule?

In fact, the entire campaign is being run to ensure that the voter lists of the country are correct and up-to-date. Delhi, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh are part of the third phase of this campaign. Due to the need to coordinate officials and resources, the dates have had to be changed several times in recent weeks. Once this third phase is completed, this big campaign of voter list improvement in the entire country except Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will be completed.