SIR process in Haryana: Nearly 1 in 3 Gurugram voters may vanish from electoral rolls
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Haryana flagged nearly 4.6 lakh voters (29.3%) in Gurugram as absent, shifted, deceased, or registered elsewhere
Faridabad recorded a comparably high number of unverified electors — 5.2 lakh (27.4%) — under scrutiny in the same exercise
Flagged entries are not automatically deleted; they proceed through a claims-and-objections window before any final removal from the rolls
Higher flagging rates in these two districts have been linked to dense migrant populations and difficulties Booth Level Officers (BLOs) face in accessing residents of multi-storey housing societies during door-to-door verification
Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls
SIR is a comprehensive, time-bound door-to-door verification exercise conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to update and authenticate electoral rolls, distinct from the routine annual summary revision. It aims to enrol all eligible citizens while removing duplicate, deceased, shifted, or otherwise ineligible entries.
Key Details
- Conducted under Article 324 (ECI's superintendence, direction, and control of elections) read with Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which empowers the ECI to direct a special revision of electoral rolls
- Booth Level Officers (BLOs) undertake house-to-house verification and help voters complete correction/enrolment forms
- SIR has been rolled out in phases across multiple states; a first phase covered Bihar (2025), followed by other states and Union Territories in subsequent phases
- Involves a defined schedule: door-to-door verification, publication of a draft roll, a claims-and-objections period, disposal of claims/objections, and publication of the final roll
The Haryana numbers reflect the intermediate "draft roll" stage of SIR, where flagged voters have been identified but not yet finally deleted — the claims-and-objections process is the safeguard before any removal becomes final.
Supreme Court on ECI's Power to Conduct SIR
The Supreme Court examined the constitutionality of the ECI's SIR exercise in Bihar in Association for Democratic Reforms v. Election Commission of India (2025-26), where petitioners challenged the revision as violating Articles 14, 19, 21, 325, and 326, along with provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and Rule 21A of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. The Court upheld the ECI's authority to conduct such intensive revisions as constitutionally and statutorily grounded.
Key Details
- The Court held that SIR does not conflict with the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and is exercised under Section 21(3) of that Act
- The bench directed procedural safeguards, including that no elector be deleted from the rolls without prior notice and an opportunity to respond
- The judgment is treated as the key precedent legitimising subsequent SIR exercises conducted in other states, including Haryana
The claims-and-objections mechanism visible in the Haryana SIR — rather than outright deletion of flagged voters — reflects the procedural safeguards the Supreme Court required in the Bihar case.
Claims and Objections — Registration of Electors Rules, 1960
Once a draft electoral roll is published, registered voters, political party agents, or any other person can file claims (for inclusion/correction) or objections (against inclusion of an ineligible entry) before the roll is finalised. This process is governed by the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, particularly Rule 21A dealing with special revision.
Key Details
- Claims and objections are filed using prescribed forms (commonly Forms 6, 7, and 8 under the Registration of Electors Rules) and disposed of by the Electoral Registration Officer before the final roll is published
- The final electoral roll is published only after this disposal stage is complete
- Article 326 guarantees universal adult suffrage for all citizens aged 18 and above, subject to disqualifications prescribed by law (e.g., non-citizenship, unsound mind, corrupt election practices)
Voters flagged in Gurugram and Faridabad retain the right to respond during the claims-and-objections window before the final roll is published, meaning the flagged figures represent a provisional, not final, count of exclusions.
- Gurugram: approximately 4.6 lakh voters (29.3%) flagged in the SIR draft roll as absent, shifted, deceased, or registered elsewhere
- Faridabad: approximately 5.2 lakh electors (27.4%) flagged as unverified
- Legal basis for SIR: Article 324 of the Constitution + Section 21(3), Representation of the People Act, 1950
- Key precedent: Association for Democratic Reforms v. Election Commission of India — Supreme Court upheld ECI's power to conduct SIR, subject to prior-notice safeguards before deletion
- Governing rule for claims/objections: Rule 21A, Registration of Electors Rules, 1960
- Constitutional basis for adult franchise: Article 326