Punjab electoral roll revision extended: Draft rolls now on August 13, final on October 12

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday extended the schedule for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Punjab, as well as in Telangana, Karnataka, and the Union Territory of Delhi. The decision follows requests from the chief electoral officers (CEOs) of these states and the UT.

In a letter to the Punjab CEO, the Commission directed that house-to-house visits by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will now continue until August 3, instead of the earlier deadline of July 24. Consequently, the draft electoral rolls for Punjab will be published on August 13, delayed from July 31. The final electoral rolls are now scheduled for release on October 12, two days later than the original date of October 10.

The extension aims to ensure accuracy and completeness of the rolls, allowing BLOs more time to verify and update entries. This is part of the ECI's ongoing effort to maintain error-free voter lists ahead of upcoming elections.

Earlier this week, on Tuesday, the ECI had similarly extended the SIR schedule for Haryana and Andhra Pradesh following requests from their respective CEOs. The Commission has not cited any specific reason for the extensions but has emphasized the importance of meticulous revision exercises.

The Special Intensive Revision is a periodic exercise conducted to update electoral rolls by adding new voters, deleting deceased or shifted persons, and correcting errors. The process includes door-to-door verification by BLOs, who are government officials responsible for voter registration at the booth level.

Political parties in Punjab had earlier raised concerns about alleged irregularities during the revision process. In a representation to the ECI, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bibi Jagir Kaur had claimed that some BLOs were engaging in activities contrary to the Commission's objectives. However, the ECI has not commented on these allegations.