SIR expected to be announced in April-May in J&K, Ladakh
Delay only if Local Body elections announced by UT Govt
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 17: Preliminary exercise for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has gained momentum in Jammu and Kashmir amid indications that the SIR is likely to be undertaken in the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh in April-May this year after completion of the process in 12 States and UTs.
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Sources told the Excelsior that initial exercise before initiation of SIR has gained momentum in Jammu and Kashmir and the Chief Electoral Officer’s office has directed the field staff to ensure that all blurred photographs on the electoral rolls are removed with fresh and clear pictures.
Also the directions have been issued for removal of black and white pictures with coloured and clearly visible photographs to ensure that the voters can be easily identified.
“The process of taking new photographs for the electoral rolls and removal of other discrepancies is on and will be completed shortly. All these exercises are part of pre-Special Intensive Revision (SIR),’’ the sources said, adding the full-fledged SIR is expected to be announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for the UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in April-May this year along with left out States and UTs.
The Special Summary Revision (SSR) which is generally taken up every year by the ECI from September to December with publication of final electoral rolls in January was not held in Jammu and Kashmir in 2025 mainly because of impending SIR and only pre-revision exercises were initiated.
The Jammu and Kashmir has around 9 million voters while Ladakh has about two lakh electorates. J&K has five Lok Sabha seats and 90-member Assembly while Ladakh has only one Lok Sabha seat and is the UT without Legislature.
The Election Commission had announced the SIR in 12 States/UTs excluding the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh besides some other States in October last year.
“The SIR exercise is crucial in Jammu and Kashmir due to possible inclusions of some Bangladeshis, Pakistanis or Myanmarese in the electoral rolls,’’ the sources said.
Elections to the Panchayats, Municipalities, Block Development Councils (BDCs) and District Development Councils (DDCs) are due in Jammu and Kashmir but there appears to be no indications that they will be held immediately. While Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) polls are due since October-November 2023, term of the DDCs is expiring on February 24 this year.
If the Government decides to hold Local Body elections in April-May, the SIR can be extended. However, if the polls are not announced, the revision is expected to start then.
There have been reports that besides Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and some other States; the illegal immigrants have also been a major threat in Jammu and Kashmir especially the Rohingyas and Bangladeshis. Reports indicated that some of them have managed to get voter cards and other documents like Aadhaar card etc through manipulation.
“A number of them might have been enrolled as voters,” they said.
In 2021, the State Election Commission had to cancel election to two District Development Council (DDC) seats including Drugmulla in Kupwara and Hajin A in Bandipora district of the Kashmir valley as it was established after elections that the winner women belonged to Pakistan occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) and had managed to enroll them as voters in the UT. A re-election was later held on both seats.
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