Election Commission Announces Revised Schedule for Special Intensive Revision in Maharashtra

Mumbai, July 18: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has released a revised schedule for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list across Maharashtra. This decision comes in response to heavy rainfall in certain regions of the state and a formal request for an extension from the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Maharashtra.

According to the CEO’s office, the torrential rains in Konkan, Mumbai, and other areas have disrupted the counting and data collection processes, necessitating a change in the timeline.

The updated schedule outlines the key deadlines for voter registration and verification. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct door-to-door verification until August 8, 2026. The rationalization and reorganization of polling stations will also be completed by the same date. The draft voter list is set to be published on August 17 (Monday).

The period for filing claims and objections will run from August 17 to September 16. The resolution of these claims and objections (including notices and hearings) will take place between August 17 and October 15, with the final publication of the voter list scheduled for October 19 (Monday).

State administration has instructed all district election officers to provide written copies of this updated timeline to local political parties and ensure widespread dissemination through media platforms.

Under the previous schedule, the printing of pre-filled enumeration forms and training for over one lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs) was to occur from June 20 to June 29. Physical verification visits by BLOs were proposed between June 30 and July 30, along with the distribution and collection of filled enumeration forms. The draft voter list was originally set to be released on August 5, with a window for citizens to file claims and objections from August 5 to September 4. All claims and objections were to be resolved by October 3, and the final voter list was to be published on October 7.

The SIR in Maharashtra is a significant statewide initiative aimed at verifying and updating voter records. Led by the Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra, S. Choklingam, the goal of this initiative is to cross-verify information for approximately 98.6 million voters.

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