Key points
- Maharashtra’s State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare has told the national poll body the state is “not ready” to conduct Special Intensive Revision (SIR) now and wants it only after local body polls.
- The state cites acute manpower constraints, saying the same personnel are needed for both SIR and the upcoming local body elections.
- The Election Commission of India has asked states to be prepared for SIR by September 30, indicating a likely October–November correction window.
- Supreme Court has mandated Maharashtra’s local body elections be completed by January 31, 2026, after delays since 2022 due to OBC quota litigation.
Mumbai: With Bihar Assembly elections on the horizon, preparations for a nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls are gathering pace. Against this backdrop, Maharashtra’s Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare has formally communicated that the state is not ready to undertake SIR at this time and has requested that it be conducted only after local body elections conclude. The state commission emphasizes that proceeding now would strain limited human resources needed to run both exercises effectively.
Manpower and logistics constraint
Officials in the State Election Commission say the same field workforce BLOs, supervisory staff, and administrative teams—is critical for both SIR operations and polling duties. Running SIR concurrently with local body poll preparations would risk quality and compliance lapses. Maharashtra had earlier flagged this concern and will issue a fresh reminder, underscoring that adequate staffing cannot be spared for SIR without compromising election readiness.
National SIR timeline signals
The Election Commission of India has directed state CEOs to be SIR-ready by September 30, signaling that the voter list correction and verification drive could launch in October–November. This timing aligns with the broader election calendar, where voter roll integrity is critical ahead of major state polls. States are aligning field plans, IT systems, and grievance channels to handle additions, deletions, corrections, and migration-linked changes.
Local body polls deadline in Maharashtra
On September 16, the Supreme Court directed that Maharashtra’s long-pending local body elections—stalled since 2022 due to OBC reservation litigation—must be completed by January 31, 2026. The court’s directive compresses administrative timelines and raises operational pressure on the state to finalize delimitation, reservation rosters, logistics, ballot arrangements, and training—further constraining bandwidth for a parallel SIR.
Bihar election linkage and rolls
The national poll body is expected to announce SIR dates alongside or soon after unveiling the Bihar Assembly election schedule. Sources indicate the Bihar final roll publication is targeted for September 30, with any residual corrections to follow in line with statutory cut-offs. Given Bihar’s tight timeline and high-stakes voter roll scrutiny, the SIR calendar is being sequenced to ensure accuracy while meeting election law milestones.
What to watch next
- EC’s formal SIR notification: Exact start-end dates, scope, and state-specific exceptions or phased execution.
- Maharashtra accommodation: Whether EC staggers SIR in Maharashtra or sequences it after key local body milestones.
- Staffing and training plans: Revised deployment rosters to avoid overlap between BLO duties and poll operations.
- Legal compliance checkpoints: Adherence to Supreme Court’s deadline and reservation-related processes for local bodies.
