On the question of the opposition calling it a shadow CAA-NRC, Shah said, “They opposed everything the EC does. They need to justify their poll defeats, so they present fake narratives, like saying ‘we lost because of EVMs.”The sources said that in the communication to the CEOs, the ECI has asked them to prepare for conducting SIR in their respective jurisdictions with January 1, 2026, as the qualifying date, which meant that those who attain the age of 18 years on that date would be included in the voters’ list.According to the sources, a few of the CEOs have already started putting out the voters’ list published after the last SIR held in their states.The website of the Delhi CEO has the 2008 voters’ list, when the last intensive revision took place in the national capital. In Uttarakhand, the last SIR took place in 2006 and that year’s electoral roll is now on the state CEO website.The last SIR in states will serve as cut off dates as 2003 voters list of Bihar is being used by EC for intensive revision. Most of the states carried out the revision of electoral rolls between 2002 and 2004.According to the sources, the poll body will take a final call on the nationwide exercise after July 28, when the Bihar SIR case will come up again for hearing in the top court.The Election Commission had earlier announced that it would eventually carry out the SIR of electoral rolls across the country to remove foreign illegal migrants by checking their place of birth. The move assumes significance in the wake of a crackdown in various states on illegal foreign migrants, including from Bangladesh and Myanmar.Bihar is going to the polls this year, while assembly polls in these five other states – Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal – are scheduled in 2026.
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