New Delhi: Under fire and the target of youth-led protests today, October 2, in two of India's biggest cities, the Election Commission has directed a 'special drive' in 20 states and Union territories where it has already completed the controversial special intensive revision.

The Election Commission has released a letter to Chief Electoral Officers of the states and UTs to say "Commission has instructed to undertake a special drive for enrolment of left-out and first time/young electors."

This letter that the ECI has tweeted is dated October 1, but Indian Express reports that the instruction was conveyed in writing on September 29 and repeated at a video conference with all state Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) on October 1.

As many as 13 crore names have been struck off the rolls in 30 states and UTs, with wide-ranging implications on the people who were left out from them in terms of access to rations and other welfare schemes, and even the ability to remain in the country. Crucial elections have been conducted on the basis of electoral rolls made after the SIRs, in which the Bharatiya Janata Party wrested Bengal for the first time despite 27 lakh appeals lying in wait.

This letter comes a week after an investigation by The Indian Express on September 23 showed that the question of who makes it onto the voters’ list and who is left out was being raised inside the Commission itself, often without a majority vote.

Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected on record 14 times in 10 months to decisions taken in the Commission’s name without their knowledge, including the change to Form 6 (the form new voters fill) and the centralised control of ECINet, the software on which the electoral rolls were prepared during the SIR and on which every electoral roll now sits.

Essaying the process of the SIR, the Election Commission said:

"Voter enrolment is a continuous process and any person not yet enrolled in the electoral roll or whose name has got deleted can apply for enrolment at any point of time. The objective of the special drive is to identify and facilitate such electors."

The letter notes that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) – already overworked in various states – will now compare the current electoral roll with the pre-SIR roll and identify voters whose names were previously included but are missing from the current roll.

BLOs will conduct house-to-house visits to verify the status of these voters and facilitate their re-enrolment through Form 6, covering at least 20–25 voters a week and completing the exercise in about a month. They are also now to assist left-out, first-time and young voters with enrolment. These lists will now be shared with recognised political parties and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs).

Booth-level camps will also be organised, including special camps for homeless and marginalised people, the Election Commission now claims.

Crucially, would-be voters will be able to use a Form 6 without the question linking it to the SIR which was added to it in July 2026 – a question which the two Election Commissioners had been formally against, and which needed a parliament approval in the first place. 

This letter also says: "CEOs, DEOs and EROs will undertake appropriate awareness and mobilisation activities through educational institutions, local-level outreach, SVEEP activities, regular press briefings and other suitable platforms to ensure that every eligible citizen is made aware of the opportunity to get enrolled."

And:

"The progress and regular review of the drive may be closely monitored at the level of CEO, DEO and ERO."

The removal of local authorities in favour of the centralised control of the ECI in Delhi had been one of the points flagged by the two Election Commissioners.

This article went live on October second, two thousand twenty six, at twelve minutes past five in the evening.

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