Is Gujarat digging its own grave through SIR?
Electoral reform advocates have voiced strong objections to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Gujarat and 11 other states. They warn that the newly introduced conditions may trigger the deletion of many genuine voters, especially those who are unable to provide documents linking them or their families to the 2002 electoral roll.
A joint press statement issued by PUCL Gujarat Secretary Mujaheed Nafis, electoral reform campaigner Santoshsinh Rathod, and ADR State Coordinator Pankti Jog states that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has instructed that every voter must submit proof showing their own name, or the name of their father, mother, or grandparents, in the 2002 SIR list. If a voter cannot present such evidence, the Electoral Registration Officer may issue a notice, and their name could be excluded from the final electoral roll.
The release stated that enumeration forms have been handed out to over 5 crore voters listed in the 2025 electoral roll. Nearly all of the 33 districts have achieved full distribution. The process of digitising the collected forms is underway and has so far been finished in 12 out of the 182 assembly constituencies.
The constituencies covered in the exercise include Dhanera and Tharad in Banaskantha district; Limkheda and Dahod in Dahod district; Bayad in Aravalli district; Dhoraji, Jasdan and Gondal in Rajkot district; Keshod in Junagadh district; Mehmadabad in Kheda district; Khambhat in Anand district; and Jalalpore in Navsari district.
Among all districts, Dang has recorded the highest progress, completing 94.35 per cent digitisation of the counting forms.
According to the release, the revision process found that 17 lakh deceased voters were still listed on the electoral rolls. It also identified more than 6.14 lakh voters who were not present at their registered addresses, and over 30 lakh voters who had permanently shifted elsewhere.
Booth-level officers additionally detected more than 3.25 lakh voters whose names were duplicated, meaning they appeared in more than one location on the rolls.
