Assam is gearing up for a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of its electoral rolls, with the Election Commission of India (ECI) expected to announce the schedule within the next 15 to 20 days. Assam Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anurag Goel has directed all District Election Officers (DEOs) to be prepared for the exercise.

Goel issued a letter on August 4, instructing DEOs to ensure all Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), Assistant EROs (AEROs), and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are in place before the SIR schedule is officially declared. The CEO has stressed the urgency of the matter.

The instructions include identifying additional BLOs for new polling stations and ensuring that election staff and data entry operators are not assigned other duties once the SIR begins. For districts within the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), alternative arrangements must be made to avoid diverting election staff for BTC polls.

The final voter list from the last intensive revision in 2005 should be made available to recognized political parties. District Contact Centres (DCCs) will be centrally activated, and DEOs are required to designate employees to handle calls and update the NGSP portal daily during office hours without additional costs.

The upcoming SIR aims to improve the accuracy of Assam's electoral rolls ahead of future elections. Assam is scheduled to hold its first election since the delimitation of its 126 Assembly seats early next year.

The Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has stated that the SIR is essential for removing ineligible voters, including non-citizens and deceased individuals, from the voter lists. Sarma referenced a political leader's criticism of the electoral rolls, asserting that these claims validate the necessity of the SIR. He welcomed the opposition leader's statements as indirect support for the SIR exercise, emphasizing its importance for maintaining the integrity of the electoral process in the state.

The SIR is already underway in Bihar, where Assembly polls are scheduled for October-November 2025.