West Bengal CEO to hold press conference on Tuesday after ECI announces second phase of SIR

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], October 27 (ANI): Following the Election Commission of India's (ECI) announcement of the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across 12 States and Union Territories, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal has scheduled a press conference on Tuesday at 6 pm.
In a letter to the Principal Secretary, Information and Cultural Affairs Department, Government of West Bengal, the Additional CEO said, "I am directed to inform you that a Press Meet held by Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal on October 28 at 6.00 pm at the Conference Hall (2nd Floor) of Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal. I am also directed to request you to kindly issue instructions to your good office to inform all the media houses in this regard."
Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Monday said that the Election Commission of India (ECI) will conduct the second phase of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across 12 States and Union Territories, with the final voter list to be published on February 7, 2026.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, CEC Kumar said the exercise will cover Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

According to the Election Commission, printing and training will take place from October 28 to November 3, followed by an Enumeration Phase from November to December 4. The Draft Electoral Rolls will be published on December 9, followed by a claims and objection period from December 9 to January 8, 2026. The Notice Phase (for hearing and verification) will take place between December 9 and January 31, 202, with publication of Final Electoral Rolls on February 7, 2026.
"The second phase of SIR (Special Intensive Revision) is about to be carried out in 12 States and UTs," the CEC said.
Following the Supreme Court's directions, the ECI has included Aadhaar in the list of 12 indicative documents, as per its September 9 order relating to the SIR in Bihar.
Explaining the position on Aadhaar, CEC Kumar said, "As far as the Aadhaar Card is concerned, the Supreme Court has said that Aadhaar is to be used as per the Aadhaar Act. Section 9 of the Aadhaar Act says that Aadhaar will not be the proof of domicile or citizenship. The Supreme Court has given several rulings that Aadhaar is not proof of date of birth. Keeping this in mind, the Aadhaar authority issued its notification and even today, if you download a new Aadhaar today, the Card mentions that it is neither a proof of date of birth nor domicile or citizenship. Aadhaar Card is proof of identity and can be used for e-signing too."
He added that the voter lists in these 12 States and UTs will be frozen from midnight. "The voter list of all those states where SIR will be done will be frozen at 12 am tonight. All voters on that list will be given Unique Enumeration Forms by the BLOs. These Enumeration Forms will have all the necessary details from the current voter list. After BLOs start distributing forms to existing electors, all those whose names are on the Enumeration Forms will try to match whether their names were on the 2003 voter list. If yes, they need not submit any additional documents," he said.
"If not their names, but the names of their parents were on the list, then too they need not submit any additional documents. The voter list of the SIR from 2002 to 2004 will be available to be seen on http://voters.eci.gov.in by anyone, and they can do the matching by themselves," the CEC added.
Drawing on experience from the first phase of SIR in Bihar, the ECI has also decided that the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit households up to three times for the matching and linking of forms. "If the elector is not available or there is a delay in matching and linking, the BLOs will visit the houses a total of three times. Electors can also fill out the forms online. If their names, or their father's or mother's names, were not available on the 2003 list, the ERO will determine eligibility based on the indicative documents," Kumar said.
He added that State Chief Electoral Officers will hold meetings with political parties and brief them on the SIR process, and Booth Level Agents of political parties can collect 50 signed enumeration forms and submit their certification to the BLOs.
To avoid overcrowding, the Election Commission has decided that no polling booth will have more than 1,200 electors, and new polling stations will be created in high-rise buildings, gated colonies, and slum clusters.
"Not more than 1200 electors will be on a polling booth to avoid crowding. We will rationalise 1200 polling stations and open new stations in high-rise buildings, gated colonies or in slum clusters," the CEC said, adding that after ERO's decision, which means after publishing the final list, any voter or any resident in a constituency can still appeal to DMs, and can also file their second appeal with the State's CEO within 15 days.
CEC Kumar listed migration, voters registered at more than one place, names not deleted after death, or a foreign national's name being included in the voter list as factors that led the Election Commission to decide on a phase-wise nationwide SIR.
"Migration, voters registered at more than one place, names not deleted after death, or a foreign national's name being included in the voter list. These are four factors that led the Election Commission to decide on a phase-wise nationwide SIR. "The SIR is aimed to include every eligible voter in the electoral roll and to remove the ineligible ones," he said. (ANI)