Intensive voter list revision in Odisha: Congress warns protest, BJD non-committal, BJP defends move

Odisha is set to launch its first Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list after 24 years starting next month, following the Election Commission’s recommendation. The move has triggered political uproar, with Opposition parties alleging bias and threatening protests.

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The Election Commission of India (ECI) has recommended a special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Odisha, marking the first such extensive voter list correction in the State since 2002. The initiative, set to begin coming month (September), follows similar efforts in Bihar and aims to clean up and update the electoral rolls through door-to-door verification.

However, the announcement has sparked intense political opposition.

Congress party has strongly objected to the timing and intent of the exercise, alleging that it may be used to disenfranchise voters on caste or religious grounds. It announced plans to gherao the Chief Electoral Officer’s office on September 4, protesting what it called “voter suppression under the guise of reform”.

While BJD has not taken a clear stand yet, the party leaders stated that they are “always with the voters” and will monitor developments.

Meanwhile, the BJP has come out in support of the initiative and lashed out at the Opposition, accusing them of resisting reforms because of their alleged involvement in past electoral malpractices.

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a deeper and broader voter list correction than the usual annual Summary Revision. While in summary revision, voters themselves apply for corrections or inclusions, under SIR, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) visit every household to verify voter data and request supporting documents.

Usually accepted documents for verification include birth certificates, Aadhaar, passports, matriculation certificates, caste and residence certificates, and government-issued IDs.

The process in Odisha will conclude with the publication of the final draft voter list on January 7, 2026. District Collectors have been instructed by the Chief Secretary to ensure the process is smooth and efficient, with DEOs, EROs, and AEROs already being deployed.

The controversy mirrors the situation in Bihar, where a similar revision drew criticism from several political parties. In Odisha, the Congress has warned that such a move may “ignite unrest” if it's used to target voters from specific communities.

The BJD, while distancing itself from the controversy, has kept its statements vague, saying only that the party is in touch with voters.

The BJP, however, welcomed the move as necessary, stating that those who were involved in “EVM manipulation and voter fraud” in the past days are now trying to derail electoral reforms.

“As a normal process, the revision of electoral rolls was carried out in 2002. Now, this will be done after nearly 25 years, and there is no problem with it. Those who have double Voter ID cards, who are fake voters, and who have died in the meantime will be removed from the list,” a constitution analyst, Manas Behera, had opined earlier when contacted.

“However, the 11 documents sought by the Government to revise the electoral roll will be difficult for the general public to produce. The election authorities should be sensitive to this and allow time to take the matter into consideration,” the analyst had added.