EC extends electoral roll revision deadlines in Odisha, Telangana

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has extended the schedule for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Odisha and Telangana after the two states sought additional time to complete different stages of the exercise, according to official communications issued on Friday.The extension is expected to provide election machinery in both states additional time to complete door-to-door verification. (PTI)In Odisha, the ECI has pushed back the deadline for filing claims and objections by 15 days to August 19 from the earlier August 4, while the disposal of claims and objections will now continue until September 17. The final electoral roll will be published on September 21.The ECI said it revised the schedule after considering a request from the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Odisha, conveyed through a letter dated July 30. The extension applies to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls with July 1, 2026, as the qualifying date.A separate notification issued by the ECI said the extension was granted under the proviso to Rule 12 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. The draft electoral roll in Odisha had been published on July 5, and the claims and objections window originally ran from July 5 to August 4.In Telangana, the ECI revised the entire revision calendar after the state election machinery requested additional time. House-to-house visits by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have been extended until August 10, while the rationalisation and rearrangement of polling stations will also be completed by that date. The draft electoral roll will now be published on August 17.Also Read:SIR clears a legal hurdleThe period for filing claims and objections in Telangana will run from August 17 to September 16, while their disposal has been scheduled until October 15. The final electoral roll will be published on October 19. The revision in Telangana is being carried out with October 1, 2026, as the qualifying date.The ECI said the revised schedule followed a request from the Telangana CEO made through a letter dated July 30 and referred to its earlier orders issued on May 14 and July 15 regarding the revision programme.The SIR exercise is aimed at updating electoral rolls through extensive field verification, scrutiny of voter records and the settlement of claims and objections before the rolls are finalised. The revision is part of the ECI’s broader effort to improve the accuracy of electoral rolls ahead of future elections.The extension is expected to provide election machinery in both states additional time to complete door-to-door verification and other preparatory work without altering the overall timeline for publication of the final electoral rolls in early October.