Nagaland SIR: ECI extends deadline, final voter roll on November 30

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has extended the schedule for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Nagaland, pushing the publication of the state's final voter list to November 30.

Under the revised timeline, the notice phase and the disposal of claims and objections in Nagaland, which began on September 20, will now run until November 25.

Revised Nagaland schedule

• Notice phase and disposal of claims and objections: until November 25
• Publication of the final electoral roll: November 30

The Commission has told the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Nagaland to inform all stakeholders of the new dates and to give them wide publicity through all available media. Political parties are also to be told about the changes in writing.

The extension follows a request from the state's CEO for more time to complete the remaining stages of the exercise.

Part of a wider extension

Nagaland is one of six states and Union Territories that received fresh SIR timelines in separate letters issued on Thursday, October 29. The others are Maharashtra, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Telangana.

According to the revised schedules reported by national media:

• Maharashtra: claims and objections reopened until November 13; final roll on November 30
• Andhra Pradesh and Haryana: disposal until November 20; final roll on November 30
• Telangana: disposal until November 26; final roll on November 30
• Delhi: claims and objections until November 25; final roll on December 22

The decision came a day after the Supreme Court asked the Commission to consider extending the claims and objections deadline while hearing a petition on the SIR in Delhi.

What SIR involves

The Special Intensive Revision is the Commission's door-to-door exercise to update and verify electoral rolls. Registered electors had to submit an enumeration form to be included in the draft roll. Those left out can file a claim using Form 6 to get back on the list, while objections to entries can be filed through Form 7. Officials then issue notices and decide each claim and objection before the final roll is published.

Deletions under scrutiny in Nagaland

The extra time comes as the revision faces questions in the state. On October 28, the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee alleged that more than 7,900 names had been removed from the rolls in Mokokchung district during the SIR. The party asked its booth-level agents to check deletions house to house. The Election Commission has not publicly responded to those figures.

Voters in Nagaland who want to check their entry, or whose names have been dropped, can contact their booth-level officer or the office of the Chief Electoral Officer before the disposal window closes on November 25.