Special Intensive Revision of Voter List to Begin in Odisha: CEO

Bhubaneswar: Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Odisha, R. Santha Gopalan, on Monday announced that a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls will soon commence across the state, marking a significant exercise in the preparation for upcoming elections. This will be the first such comprehensive revision in 24 years, as the last SIR in Odisha was carried out in 2002.

According to the CEO, the revision process aims to ensure that the voter list is both accurate and inclusive, reflecting every eligible voter in the state. The final electoral roll after the revision will be published on January 7, 2026, giving citizens adequate time to verify and correct their details.

In view of the growing electorate, the Election Commission has also decided to increase the number of polling booths in Odisha from the existing 38,000 to 45,000, in order to ease voter access and reduce overcrowding during polling.

Addressing the media, Gopalan dismissed allegations raised by certain political parties, stating that the Election Commission has already responded to queries from both the Congress and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

“We have given clarifications twice to the BJD. I would urge all parties not to level baseless allegations that could cast doubts on the credibility of the Commission,” he said.

On the issue of voter identity, the CEO informed that around 7,000 voter cards with Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers had to be replaced due to irregularities, with nearly 5,000 cases reported from Banki constituency alone. He clarified that possession of only an EPIC number does not grant voting rights — a valid voter ID card is mandatory to cast one’s ballot.

The announcement comes at a time when the SIR exercise has already triggered political debates at the national level. In Parliament, Opposition parties have recently protested against the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, alleging large-scale voter exclusions and demanding a detailed debate on the issue.

Observers believe that Odisha’s move will also be closely watched by political stakeholders in the run-up to the next 2029 general elections.