The Maharashtra unit of the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has expressed concern over the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, warning that the exercise could disproportionately affect marginalised and document-poor citizens. It has also called on civil society organisations to actively assist eligible voters throughout the revision process.
In a detailed note, titled "SIR in Maharashtra: What we should/can do about it?", PUCL Maharashtra says that while it continues to question the legitimacy of the exercise, the immediate priority should be to work within the existing framework to minimise deletions from electoral rolls by helping citizens complete the required procedures and pursue claims and objections wherever necessary.
What Is the Special Intensive Revision?
According to the note, the election commission of India (ECI) announced the nationwide SIR on 24 June 2025 as a comprehensive exercise to revise and update electoral rolls.
ECI has said the exercise is intended to eliminate duplicate entries arising from migration and urbanisation over the past two decades while ensuring that only eligible Indian citizens remain on the electoral rolls.
PUCL notes that the revision has been rolled out in three phases. Bihar was covered in the first phase, followed by nine states and three Union Territories (UTs) in the second phase. Maharashtra is among the 16 states and three UTs included in Phase-3, which commenced following ECI's announcement on 14 May 2026.
PUCL Flags Key Differences
According to PUCL, the current exercise differs significantly from electoral roll revisions conducted between 1951 and 2004.
The organisation says earlier revisions primarily relied on door-to-door verification by election officials, with existing voters generally presumed eligible if they were found residing at their registered addresses.
In contrast, the present exercise requires every voter to establish eligibility through prescribed documentation relating to citizenship and other qualifications.
PUCL argues that this requirement could create difficulties for economically weaker sections, migrants, Adivasis, women and other citizens who may lack the necessary documents or find it difficult to establish links with earlier electoral rolls.
The organisation also says the timelines for the current revision are considerably shorter than those followed in earlier exercises and, in some states, overlap with election schedules, leaving limited time for affected voters to pursue legal remedies.
Concerns over 'Logical Discrepancies'
The note also questions the ECI's use of what it describes as 'logical discrepancies' to identify doubtful voters.
According to PUCL, the criterion does not directly establish whether a person exists, resides at the stated address, has attained the qualifying age or is prima facie an Indian citizen.
The organisation claims that the criterion has resulted in large numbers of voters being prevented from voting in West Bengal while their cases remain under adjudication.
The note also refers to Supreme Court observations that exclusion from the electoral roll does not automatically result in loss of citizenship. It expresses concern that such cases could subsequently be referred to the Union home ministry for determination of citizenship status.
It further refers to announcements by the governments of Bihar and West Bengal regarding the linkage between electoral rolls and access to certain welfare benefits.
Maharashtra Revision Schedule
The note reproduces ECI's schedule for phase-3 of the SIR.
According to the schedule:
- Preparation and training activities were conducted between 20 June and 29 June 2026.
- Booth level officers (BLOs) are carrying out door-to-door visits from 30 June to 29 July 2026 to collect and verify enumeration forms.
- The draft electoral roll is scheduled to be published on 5 August 2026.
- Claims and objections can be filed until 4 September 2026.
- The final electoral roll is scheduled for publication on 7 October 2026.
ECI has said that more than 394,000 BLOs, assisted by about 342,000 booth level agents (BLAs) appointed by political parties, will participate in the nationwide exercise covering approximately 367.3mn (million) electors in the states and UTs included in phase-3.
The commission has described the SIR as a participative exercise involving electors, political parties and election officials.
PUCL Seeks Civil Society Support
While maintaining its objections to the exercise, PUCL says it intends to engage constructively with the process by helping voters navigate various stages of the revision.
The organisation says it has developed the technical expertise required to guide volunteers but lacks the manpower to assist individual voters across Maharashtra.
It has, therefore, appealed to civil society organisations already working at the community level to join a coordinated effort to support eligible voters throughout the revision process.
According to the note, assistance may be required at every stage, including voter mapping, enumeration, publication of draft electoral rolls, filing and review of claims and objections, preparation of lists of doubtful voters and publication of the final electoral roll.
PUCL says the scale of intervention will depend on the availability of volunteers and resources in different parts of the state. It has proposed preparing a coordinated action plan to identify priority areas, mobilise volunteers and share experiences to build what it describes as an actionable and scalable programme aimed at reducing the risk of wrongful deletions from the electoral rolls.
