No SSR; SIR in J&K, Ladakh likely in March next year after census, snowfall

Exercise significant due to illegal immigrants’ presence

Process to be over in country by year-end

Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Aug 29: There will be no Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls in the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh which is generally held from September 1 to December 31 in view of impending announcement of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise scheduled to be held in the twin UTs next year after completion of the census.

The SIR for Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh along with Himachal Pradesh is likely to be held after the winter, as per the indications available here. The winter generally sets-in in most of the hilly areas in November and lasts till March. The weather thereafter is feasible for undertaking the exercise which has already been completed in many States/UTs by the Election Commission of India and is going on in some other States/UTs.

In first two phases, 13 States/UTs were covered by the SIR while in Phase-III, the SIR was announced for 16 States/UTs on May 14, 2026. With completion of third phase, the Special Intensive Revision will be completed in the entire country excepting twin UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh and the hilly State of neighbouring Himachal Pradesh.

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"In view of impending exercise of SIR, there will be no SSR in J&K and Ladakh from September 1. The SIR is expected to be taken up in the two UTs from March along with Himachal Pradesh when the census will be over and weather will be fair,'' official sources told the Excelsior.

The SSR was not held in 2025 as well. In 2024, the summary revision was taken up prior to conduct of Assembly elections. The polls were held in September-October, 2024.

The SIR exercise assumes significance in Jammu and Kashmir amid concerns over presence of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis, albeit small in numbers. Few days back, the high-level committee on demographic changes set up by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) visited Jammu for three days to study presence of illegal immigrants in the region.

Reports indicated that some of the illegal immigrants may have managed to get voter cards and other documents like Aadhaar card etc through manipulation. And, a number of them might have been enrolled as voters.

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

As per the available data, J&K 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 so far.

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 expired in February this year. Revision of Panchayat electoral rolls was undertaken by the State Election Commission (SEC) in April-May this year.