In the second phase of the special voter list revision which started in the country after 21 years, the voter list will be amended in 12 states. Assam has been kept apart from this, whereas it will happen in states like Bengal-Tamil Nadu. After all, we know what is the reason for this.
Special Intensive Revision: In the second phase of the Special Intensive Voter List Revision (SIR) campaign being conducted in the country after 21 years, voter list revision work is to be done in 12 states and union territories. However, two of these states, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, have elections to be held in 2026 and will have SIR, but Assam is a state where despite assembly elections next year, it has not been included in the SIR. What is the reason behind this, let us know.
Citizenship rules for Assam are different from the rest of the country
According to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the citizenship rules for Assam are slightly different from the rest of the country. Therefore, separate amendment orders will be issued for SIR in Assam and a separate SIR date will be announced. Let us tell you that Assam, bordering Bangladesh, has specific citizenship rules under Section 6A of the Citizenship Act. This rule applies to people of Indian origin who came to Assam from Bangladesh between January 1, 1966 and March 25, 1971.
Migrants coming to Assam after March 1971 are illegal
Those who entered India before January 1, 1966, are considered Indian citizens, while those who entered India between 1966–1971 can get citizenship only after proper registration process. Any person who entered Assam after March 25, 1971, is considered an illegal migrant and cannot be granted citizenship. These decisions are taken at the local level by a specially constituted Foreigners Tribunal.
SIR’s work is not easy due to NRC in Assam
The special intensive vetting for Assam could be a tricky process as the state was hit by huge controversy over the preparation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) six years ago. More than 19 lakh people were excluded from it. The purpose of NRC was to drive out illegal immigrants who had been settled in the state for decades. To avoid action they will have to prove their citizenship. The process is still incomplete as the Center has not yet notified the list, leading to massive protests.
Opposition has created huge ruckus on NRC-SIR
The opposition had created a ruckus over the NRC in Assam, saying that officials had mistakenly excluded lakhs of Indian citizens from the list and included foreigners. Similar questions have been raised on SIR also. The opposition says this is a process of excluding the poor and depriving them of voting rights. However, the Election Commission has rejected these allegations outright.
66 lakh names removed from voter list in Bihar
In the recently completed amendment process in Bihar, about 66 lakh names have been removed. The Election Commission has said that these are the names of people who have migrated, who have duplicate voter IDs or who have died. The Commission today reiterated that it has not received a single complaint in this matter.
In which 12 states will SIR be implemented in the second phase?
In the second phase, the amendment process will take place in 12 states and union territories. The list includes Andaman and Nicobar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.