The Election Commission of India (ECI) has extended the deadline for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) verification exercise by a week, moving the cut-off date for field-level enumeration from December 4 to December 11. The decision comes as multiple states, particularly West Bengal, continue to report deaths of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and others allegedly linked to the strenuous verification exercise. According to officials, the Commission has also revised the subsequent milestones of the electoral roll preparation. The draft electoral roll will now be published on December 16, instead of the earlier December 9. Following this, claims and objections may be filed until January 15, 2026, replacing the earlier January 5 deadline. The final electoral roll will be published on February 14, a week later than the previously scheduled February 7.
An EC official said the relaxation was made possible because the next cycle of assembly elections in five states and Union Territories - including West Bengal , is not due until April - May 2026. “This gives us adequate flexibility to stretch the SIR timeline if it ensures a more accurate and error-free voter list,” one ECI official noted, adding that political parties had been given an extra week to cross-check and flag absent, shifted, deceased or duplicate voters through their booth-level agents before the publication of the draft list.
The extension follows weeks of rising concern from Political parties and civil society groups and BLO associations after several deaths were reported during the verification drive. West Bengal alone has seen close to 40 such fatalities being claimed by different groups, ranging from BLOs collapsing during field duty to residents dying during “purported disputes” linked to document verification. The ECI has not publicly commented on the individual cases but has insisted that its guidelines already mandate reasonable working hours and safety protocols. At least 4 BLOs have died in West Bengal - two died by suicide accusing the ECI - families of all four have alleged ‘inhuman’ work pressure from ECI as the reason behind their deaths. In Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad one BLO died by suicide on Sunday, leaving behind a note stating “sleepless nights, confusion over targets and fear of losing his assistant teacher job” if he failed to meet the SIR targets - as why he decided to end his life. Deaths have been reported from Gujarat, Rajasthan and even Madhya Pradesh. In phase 2 of SIR, the ECI had launched the exercise in 12 states/ UTs including three non BJP ruled poll bound states - West Bengal, Kerala , Tamil Nadu and one Union Territory Puducherry.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) reacted sharply to the latest change, alleging that the ECI was forced to modify the schedule due to “unacceptable ground conditions” that the party had repeatedly flagged. “The Commission’s decision itself proves the SIR exercise was pushed in reckless haste,” said Partha Bhowmick, a senior TMC leader and MP. “For weeks, BLOs have been overburdened without manpower, training, or logistical support. Extending the deadline is not a gesture - it is an admission of failure after lives have been lost”, he added. In an additional statement, the party demanded that the ECI now implement structural safeguards. These include capped daily field hours, medical and insurance support for BLOs, and a dedicated helpline for reporting harassment or unsafe working environments. The TMC also reiterated its call for a full inquiry into the deaths, saying that “accountability cannot be postponed.” With the updated timeline, the Commission hopes that the additional week will ease the burden on field staff and give political parties more room to verify data. Whether the extension will address the administrative and humanitarian concerns surrounding the SIR process remains a critical question as the verification drive enters its final stretch.
