The Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) has formally requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) to postpone any plans for a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state until January 2026. The SEC's request, articulated in a letter dated September 9, 2025, cites the extensive schedule of upcoming local body elections across the state.

The SEC has highlighted a potential conflict, stating that the same officials responsible for conducting the SIR exercise would also be engaged in conducting polls for various urban and rural local bodies. These include elections for 29 municipal corporations, 247 municipal councils, 42 out of 147 nagar panchayats, 32 of the 34 zilla parishads, and 336 out of 351 panchayat samitis across Maharashtra.

The SEC had previously communicated its concerns regarding its ability to participate in the SIR before January 2026 to the ECI in early September during the planning stages for a conference of Chief Electoral Officers from various states.

The Supreme Court of India, in an order dated May 6, 2025, directed the SEC to endeavor to complete the local body elections in Maharashtra within four months, while allowing the Commission to seek an extension of time if needed. Given this directive and the current election schedule, the SEC anticipates that the election process for these local bodies will likely continue until January 2026.

The Deputy Collectors and Tahsildars, who typically serve as Returning Officers and Assistant Returning Officers for local body elections, would be preoccupied with these duties. The SEC has emphasized that these officers are also responsible for the revision of Assembly electoral rolls. The SEC has completed the delimitation of wards for zilla parishads and panchayat samitis, while the process for municipal corporations, councils, and nagar panchayats is nearing completion.

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) involves a complete re-preparation of electoral rolls through door-to-door enumeration.