The much-talked-about Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Gujarat’s electoral roll began on Tuesday. The exercise, which involves thousands of officials going door-to-door, is aimed at distributing enumeration forms to more than five crore voters.
SIR is currently underway in 12 states across the country, including Gujarat.
Vibes of India understands that over 50,000 booth-level officers (BLOs) will distribute enumeration forms within a week. The signed forms must then be returned to the respective officers. Voters also have the option of uploading the forms to the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) voter service portal.
It’s learnt that if neither option is chosen, the voter’s name may be deleted from the rolls.
The Election Commission has used the 2002 voters’ list as the reference point. Those whose names appear in both the 2002 and 2025 lists will also need to submit signed enumeration forms to their BLOs.
In cases where a voter is not at home, a family member may complete and submit the form. Each form must be signed, and Aadhaar authentication will be required for online submissions.
The SIR, however, has faced opposition. Saikshanik Sangh, a teachers’ federation, has written to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, urging the government to stop issuing arrest warrants against teachers appointed as BLOs who are unable to perform election duties.
The federation stated that teachers cannot fulfill BLO responsibilities after school hours. It has emerged that more than 90 per cent of the SIR workload has been allocated to teachers.
Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda told Vibes of India that in a way SIR is necessary but in Gujarat time and again the voters’ list is revised/updated.
He said that he has been getting complaints in just two days about how documents are asked from the voters. These are documents that might not be with someone who has come to Gujarat from some other state, he added.
Chavda alleged that the way SIR is being implemented in Gujarat it seems it is for a political agenda.
Soon after the SIR was announced for Gujarat and other states, the opposition Congress raised several objections during an all-party meeting in Gandhinagar.
Gujarat Congress spokesperson Dr Hiren Banker told Vibes of India that authorities were unable to answer several key questions, including which city a voter’s name would be deleted from if they were registered in two.
The Congress also questioned how necessary documents would be prepared for voters who do not already possess them.
According to Mujahid Nafees, convener of the Minority Coordination Committee Gujarat, there is no transparency in the excerise, it is futile and waste of public money. He expressed doubt about how such an intenstive exercise can be completed in a month’s time. He further said that his Committee and organisations like People’s Union For Civil Liberties will stand by any voter who name is deleted for no reason.
Indications are that around 20 lakh names are likely to be deleted during the SIR process, while 10 lakh new names are expected to be added. It’s understood that those who have turned 18 and individuals who have recently settled in Gujarat from other states will also be included.
Also Read: SIR Electoral Rolls In 12 States, UTs Announced, Assam Not In The List https://www.vibesofindia.com/sir-electoral-rolls-in-12-states-uts-announced-assam-not-in-the-list/
