INDIA bloc demands scrapping of SIR, seeks use of pre-SIR 2025 electoral rolls for next local polls

INDIA bloc demands scrapping of SIR, seeks use of pre‑SIR 2025 electoral rolls for next local polls The India Bloc, a coalition of regional parties and civil‑society organisations, has issued a formal declaration urging the state government to discard the recently introduced Systemic Identification Roll (SIR) and revert to the pre‑SIR 2025 electoral rolls for the upcoming taluk and zilla panchayat elections. In a 15‑page memorandum tabled in the state legislative assembly, the bloc argues that the SIR, introduced last year to modernise voter verification, has led to widespread disenfranchisement, especially among marginalised communities in rural districts. The bloc’s demand comes as the election commission prepares its final schedule for the local polls slated for early 2026..

According to the declaration, more than 1.2 million voters were either omitted from the SIR or faced verification hurdles that prevented them from casting a ballot in the 2024 municipal elections. The India Bloc cites field reports from over 300 polling stations across three districts where election officials reportedly turned away voters whose names were absent from the new roll. “The SIR has turned a democratic right into a bureaucratic nightmare,” said Priya Singh, spokesperson for the coalition, during a press conference in the state capital on Tuesday..

The bloc warns that proceeding with the SIR for the upcoming local elections could exacerbate tensions and undermine the legitimacy of the panchayat system. The state government, defending its digital overhaul, maintains that the SIR was designed to curb duplicate entries and electoral fraud, issues that have plagued previous elections. In a statement released on its official website, the Department of Electoral Affairs highlighted that the roll integrates biometric data, address verification and real‑time updates, thereby reducing the scope for manipulation..

The department also pointed to a 23 % reduction in contested voter lists compared with the pre‑SIR roll, claiming this as evidence of increased integrity. Nonetheless, the government has not yet responded to the bloc’s specific request to revert to the 2025 roll for the taluk and zilla panchayat polls. Legal experts are watching the dispute closely, noting that Indian election law permits the Election Commission of India (ECI) to issue fresh rolls at least six months before any major election..

However, the ECI’s guidelines also allow for the use of “existing rolls” if they are deemed accurate and inclusive. Professor Arvind Kumar of the National Law School, New Delhi, observes that the bloc’s demand could set a precedent for other states grappling with the rollout of digital voter lists. “If the courts side with the India Bloc, we could see a re‑evaluation of the SIR’s legality across the country,” he warned, adding that the balance between technological efficiency and universal suffrage remains a contested terrain..

The coalition’s memorandum also calls for an independent audit of the SIR’s data collection processes. It urges the appointment of a three‑member oversight committee comprising representatives from the judiciary, the Election Commission and civil‑society NGOs. The proposed audit would examine the criteria used to delete or modify entries, the transparency of the verification algorithm, and the avenues available for aggrieved voters to appeal decisions..

“A transparent audit will restore faith in the system and ensure that no citizen is denied their constitutional right to vote,” the document reads, echoing sentiments voiced by voter‑rights groups during recent rallies. In the days following the bloc’s declaration, several local leaders have taken to social media to voice concerns. Over 45,000 residents in the coastal district of Karkala shared videos alleging that senior citizens were unable to verify their identities due to outdated biometric data..

Similarly, women’s collectives in the interior hilly region of Chikmagalur reported that the SIR’s address verification flagged many traditional homesteads as “non‑existent,” forcing families to travel hundreds of kilometres to registration centres. These anecdotes have amplified calls for the state to revert to the more familiar 2025 rolls, which, according to the bloc, were compiled through a door‑to‑door enumeration process that captured nuanced local demographics. Opposition parties at the national level have also weighed in, framing the issue as part of a broader debate on the digitalisation of India’s democratic infrastructure..

In Parliament, the leader of the opposition questioned the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology about the safeguards embedded in the SIR, prompting a brief exchange that highlighted the lack of a unified policy framework governing electronic voter rolls. “We cannot allow a single technology platform to dictate the very foundation of our electoral system without robust checks and balances,” the opposition leader asserted, urging the central government to intervene. The Election Commission, for its part, has announced a provisional timeline for a “roll‑cleaning exercise” that it claims will address the bloc’s grievances..

According to the commission’s spokesperson, the exercise will involve cross‑checking the SIR against the 2025 roll, providing a window of thirty days for citizens to submit correction requests. The commission has also pledged to deploy additional verification teams in districts where the bloc reported the highest number of exclusions. However, critics argue that the short timeframe may not be sufficient for rural voters with limited access to digital facilities..

Meanwhile, the state’s Chief Minister, who championed the SIR’s introduction during her 2023 electoral promise, defended the technology as indispensable for modern governance..