Jharkhand SIR Preparations Complete; Draft Voter List for UP to Be Released Tomorrow

Deoghar, January 5, 2026: Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar concluded his two-day visit to Jharkhand with a strong emphasis on clean, error-free voter lists and transparent democratic processes. During his review, he praised both district officials and booth-level officers (BLOs) for their diligent work in preparing the state for elections.

Special Intensive Revision (SIR) on Track in Jharkhand
Kumar expressed satisfaction with the preparations for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Jharkhand, noting that officials, including Chief Electoral Officer K. Ravi Kumar and all district collectors, have left no stone unturned to ensure accuracy in the voter list. He assured that the final voter list, when published, would be fully transparent.

Removing Irregularities a Constitutional Imperative
The Chief Election Commissioner emphasized that any entry in the voter list of deceased persons, permanently migrated individuals, duplicate names, or non-citizens is unconstitutional. Under Article 326, only eligible voters should be included, ensuring that no genuine voter is left out.

This special revision process, which began in Bihar, is now being implemented across 12 states and will eventually extend nationwide.

Bihar Sets ‘Zero Appeal’ Benchmark
Kumar cited Bihar as a model of transparency, where the SIR process resulted in over 7.5 crore voter entries with zero appeals. The Election Commission aims to replicate this high standard of accuracy and transparency in Jharkhand and other states.

Upcoming Draft List for Uttar Pradesh
Regarding the next phases, he informed that draft voter lists for 11 out of 12 states have already been released, with Uttar Pradesh’s draft list scheduled for January 6. The draft lists are shared with political parties to identify and rectify errors. Currently, a one-month “claims and objections” period is underway, during which BLO errors can be corrected. Notices may be issued by Electoral Registration Officers (ERO) or Assistant EROs to resolve disputes. The final voter list will be published after this process, and political parties will retain the right to appeal to district collectors.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s visit underlined the Election Commission’s commitment to error-free voter rolls, fair elections, and democratic transparency across India.