EC may order SSR of rolls in Oct for poll-bound states

The Election Commission (EC) of India may order a Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa, and Manipur in October 2025. The qualifying date for these revisions is January 1, 2027. However, a nationwide SSR is unlikely this year, considering the ongoing State Imputation (SIR) Phase 3 in 19 states/Union Territories (UTs) and the ongoing Census exercise.

SSR experts Sandhu and Joshi have reportedly objected to a nationwide SSR after January 1, 2025. Meanwhile, SIR is being conducted in a dozen states, with Bihar having completed it only a few months ago. EC is also planning the third phase of SIR, covering 19 states/UTs in 2026.

The EC must also consider the Census exercise, which has two phases: the first between April 1 and September 30, 2026, and the second underway in Ladakh, snow-bound areas of J&K, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. The second phase was recently advanced in states expecting assembly polls early next year.

SSR in poll-bound states will comply with Section 21 of the Representation of the People (RP) Act, which requires rolls revision based on the qualifying date before each poll or bypoll. Since five states have elections scheduled between February and March 2027, updated rolls must be published in January 2027.