ECI extends SIR schedule by a week amid Bengal deaths criticism
ECI extends SIR schedule by a week amid Bengal deaths criticism
Election Commission extends SIR by seven days across 12 states, drawing criticism over hurried procedures and reported deaths linked to the process.
The Election Commission of India announced on Sunday that the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls will be extended by seven days, affecting 12 states and union territories. The new timeline pushes the enumeration form submission to December 11, with draft rolls due on December 16 and the final voters list slated for February 14, 2026.
West Bengal's Trinamool Congress has denounced the move as a hurried exercise, asserting that the extension proves their earlier criticisms were valid. Senior West Bengal Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya and Barrackpore MP Partha Bhowmick argued that the EC should apologise for what they described as deaths linked to stress during SIR; they claimed around 40 people have died in connection with the exercise, all from West Bengal.
Earlier this week, a delegation of TMC MPs met EC officials at Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi with five questions about the exercise, including accountability for the deaths. The party highlighted concerns about the pace of the revision and the human cost, urging greater transparency from the commission.
The Trinamool charge is that the EC had attempted to complete the task in two months after a process that could have taken years, and that the hurried approach contributed to the casualties. In response, the EC has defended the extension as a necessary step to ensure accuracy and credibility in the electoral rolls, while promising a review of the process and safeguards for workers involved in the field operation.
Cover image source: ECI extends SIR schedule by one week 🔗
