SIR-2026 Drive Reaches Milestone as 1.73 Crore Forms Distributed

Telangana's ambitious Special Intensive Revision (SIR)-2026 exercise has gathered significant pace, with election officials distributing 1.73 crore Enumeration Forms (EFs) within just four days of launching the statewide house-to-house voter verification campaign.

The milestone was achieved through the efforts of thousands of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) deployed across the state as part of the Election Commission's drive to update and verify electoral rolls ahead of future elections. Telangana Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) C. Sudharshan Reddy lauded the election staff for the rapid progress and urged them to maintain the same momentum until the exercise is completed.

Reviewing the programme through a video conference with District Election Officers (DEOs) , the CEO stressed the importance of adhering strictly to the guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) . He warned that any deviation from prescribed procedures would invite action under the law and instructed district authorities to ensure 100% distribution of enumeration forms within the stipulated timeframe.

The ongoing revision exercise is one of the largest voter verification drives undertaken in Telangana in recent years. Nearly 36,000 BLOs have been deployed to conduct door-to-door visits, distribute forms and assist voters in updating their information. Officials have also been directed to intensify voter awareness campaigns so that citizens understand the process and submit accurate details.

Sudharshan Reddy called upon political parties and Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to actively participate in the exercise and help ensure that every eligible voter is covered. He also instructed officials to conduct additional training programmes for BLOs on the digitisation of voter data and the handling of enumeration forms.

The SIR-2026 exercise assumes greater significance as election authorities have identified nearly 90 lakh voter records with discrepancies during preliminary scrutiny. These include cases involving address mismatches, duplicate entries, migration and incomplete voter details. Officials have clarified that the objective is to create a clean, accurate and up-to-date electoral roll , not to remove genuine voters.

According to official data, Telangana has more than 3.38 crore registered voters . By June 20, election authorities had mapped details of around 2.38 crore electors , while the remaining records required further verification.

The house-to-house survey, which began on June 25 , will continue until July 24 . The draft electoral roll is scheduled to be published on July 31 , followed by a period for claims, objections and hearings. The final electoral roll will be released on October 1 , completing a process that officials say is being conducted with full transparency and in accordance with ECI guidelines.

With over half the state's electorate already reached through form distribution, election authorities view the early response as a strong step toward ensuring a more reliable and comprehensive voter database in Telangana.