The Election Commission has extended the special intensive revision deadlines for voter roll clean-up in six regions, easing pressure on field teams. The new schedule covers Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The EC said the extension will help states complete enumeration without rushing booth-level officers.
Goa, Lakshadweep, Rajasthan, and West Bengal did not receive an extension, and their enumeration window ended today. Their draft electoral rolls will be published on December 16. Bengal now becomes the next major political battleground, with elections due early next year.
The revised deadlines set Tamil Nadu and Gujarat’s enumeration to end on December 14. Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands will finish by December 18, while Uttar Pradesh gets time until December 26. Draft rolls will follow on staggered dates between December 19 and December 31.
The EC had already revised Kerala’s schedule earlier, setting enumeration until December 18.
Opposition parties strongly criticised the original deadlines. Congress, TMC, CPI(M), and Samajwadi Party argued that BLOs were overburdened and voters were inconvenienced. EC data shows 50.8 crore forms have been digitised, while 23.22 lakh remain pending.
