Pre-SIR Drive Intensifies in Jammu Kashmir  | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: The preliminary groundwork for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has gathered pace in Jammu and Kashmir, with indications that the comprehensive revision exercise is likely to be undertaken in April–May this year across the Union Territories of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh.

Sources said that the Chief Electoral Officer’s office has directed field staff to fast-track the replacement of blurred and black-and-white photographs in the electoral rolls with clear, coloured images to ensure accurate voter identification. The ongoing process also aims to remove discrepancies in voter records as part of the pre-SIR exercise.

“The task of capturing fresh photographs and correcting defects in the rolls is underway and will be completed shortly. This is a preparatory step before the formal announcement of the Special Intensive Revision,” sources said.

They added that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is expected to notify the SIR for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in April–May, after completing the exercise in 12 States and Union Territories where it was announced earlier.

Notably, the annual Special Summary Revision (SSR), usually conducted between September and December with final rolls published in January, was not held in Jammu and Kashmir in 2025 due to the proposed SIR. Only preparatory activities were initiated during the period.

Jammu and Kashmir currently has around nine million registered voters with five Lok Sabha seats and a 90-member Legislative Assembly, while Ladakh has about two lakh electors and one Lok Sabha seat.

Sources said the SIR is considered particularly significant in Jammu and Kashmir in view of concerns over alleged illegal inclusions in the electoral rolls. “There are apprehensions regarding enrolment of illegal immigrants, including Rohingyas, Bangladeshis and others, who may have obtained voter cards and identity documents through manipulation,” they said.

Local Body elections for Panchayats, Urban Local Bodies, Block Development Councils and District Development Councils are due in Jammu and Kashmir, though no immediate schedule has been announced. Officials said the SIR timeline could be extended if such elections are notified during April–May.

They also recalled that in 2021, elections to two District Development Council seats in Kupwara and Bandipora were annulled after it emerged that the elected candidates were residents of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, leading to re-polls in those constituencies.

The Election Commission, sources said, is keen to ensure error-free and credible electoral rolls ahead of any future elections in the region. (KNC)