Poll Body Set For Nationwide Roll Revision? Sources Say 10 States In Phase 1

The date for nationwide rollout of Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls is expected to be announced tomorrow by the Election Commission. Around 10 states -- including poll-bound West Bengal and Tamil Nadu -- will come under the exercise in the first phase. The other states include Assam, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry, sources said. 

Three days ago, the Election Commission had held a meeting with Chief Electoral Officers from all states and Union Territories in Delhi. They had discussed the experience in Bihar and decided to streamline the process.

"In Bihar, the SIR process took nearly four months from June 24 to September 30. However, the Commission is now planning to shorten this time frame," an official had told NDTV on condition of anonymity. 

The Commission had instructed all states and Union Territories to start pre-matching previous and current electoral rolls, so the voter verification process will not take more time.

The decision on SIR comes on the heels of an avalanche of criticism from the Opposition over the way the process was conducted in Bihar. 

The matter went to the Supreme Court also, which ordered the inclusion of Aadhaar as one of the acceptable identity documents. 
The judges had over-ruled the poll body's reservations about forgery, and said instead of "en masse exclusion", there should be "en masse inclusion".

The Special Intensive Revision - or SIR as it has been termed -- was conducted in Bihar amid intense scrutiny and repeated requests to shut it down. Around 66,000 names were dropped from the voter list, which, the poll body alleged, reflected deaths, duplication and migration. 

The Opposition had alleged that it was aimed at mass disenfranchisement, particularly of poor and minority communities who might support them.

Producing data from several areas, Congress's Rahul Gandhi had alleged a collusion between the Commission and the BJP to deliver a massive mandate to the ruling party. The Opposition alleged that the SIR was a version of this.