Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state’s electoral rolls will only begin once the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is formally notified, a step he expects to be completed by the middle of next year. His statement comes amid ongoing concerns over inconsistencies in Assam’s voter lists, which continue to carry names of deceased individuals, minors, and married women whose names or addresses have changed over time. Explaining the delay, Sarma said the absence of an official NRC notification has stalled the SIR process for years. “The NRC has not been notified yet. Once that is done — hopefully by mid-next year — the Special Intensive Revision can finally take place in Assam,” he said, adding that the state cannot move ahead with a full-scale overhaul of voter records without this legal foundation.
To address the immediate discrepancies, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed the state to conduct a Special Summary Revision. As part of this exercise, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit every household to gather updated details, including information on deceased voters, corrections due to marriage or relocation, and other necessary updates. Sarma said this door-to-door exercise will play a key role in improving the accuracy of the existing electoral rolls. “I believe that before the upcoming elections, we will have a comparatively clean and accurate voter list,” the Chief Minister said. He also clarified that the current revision exercise will not involve any verification of citizenship. “Citizenship will not be checked here; that determination will happen only during the Special Revision process. First will come the Special Summary Revision, and after that, the benefits of the Special Intensive Revision will be seen,” he added.
According to Sarma, the two-step process — beginning with the summary revision and followed by the Special Intensive Revision after NRC notification — will help Assam achieve a more reliable and updated electoral roll ahead of future polls. He said the state government remains focused on ensuring transparency and accuracy in the voter lists as Assam heads into an important electoral cycle.