SIR Drive To Begin In Odisha From July 1
Bhubaneswar: Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday announced the third phase of its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with Odisha among the first states where the large-scale voter verification exercise will be undertaken.
According to an ECI press note issued from New Delhi, the Phase-III exercise will be conducted across 16 states and three Union Territories in a phased manner, covering the entire country except Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
In Odisha, the qualifying date for the revision has been fixed as July 1, 2026. Preparatory work, training and printing activities will be carried out between May 20 and May 29, while house-to-house visits by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will take place from May 30 to June 28. The draft electoral roll will be published on July 5 and the final roll on September 6 after disposal of claims and objections.
The ECI said over 38,123 BLOs and 8,391 Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by political parties will be engaged in the exercise across Odisha, covering more than 3.34 crore electors as on May 12, 2026.
Nationwide, over 3.94 lakh BLOs will conduct door-to-door verification of approximately 36.73 crore electors during the third phase of the SIR process, assisted by 3.42 lakh BLAs.
The poll panel described the revision as a participative exercise involving electors, political parties and election officials, and urged political parties to appoint BLAs in every polling booth to ensure transparency and wider participation in the revision process.
