SIR of over 15 crore voters begins in UP today, political storm likely

After the announcement of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in 12 states, preparations have gathered pace in Uttar Pradesh as well — and so has political activity. The verification of 15 crore voters under SIR will be carried out by 1.62 lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs), who will go door-to-door to check voter lists.

Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party (SP) has already mobilised its cadre as SIR-PDA Praharis (SIR PDA Sentinels). SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, after the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar’s press conference on Monday (October 27), made it clear that his party’s workers and Booth Level Agents (BLAs) will closely watch over SP’s core voter base. This indicates that a major political confrontation could be on the horizon.

Political parties appoint 1.92 lakh booth-level agents

Uttar Pradesh has around 15.44 crore voters and 1,62,486 polling booths. Following Monday’s announcement by CEC Gyanesh, political activity has intensified in India’s most populous state.

Also read: SIR a ‘backdoor implementation of NRC’, warns Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan

The groundwork for the SIR had already been completed under Election Commission’s (EC) guidelines. Training for all BLOs across districts took place recently. A total of 1.62 lakh BLOs will conduct door-to-door surveys, supported by 2,550 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant EROs (AEROs).

Interestingly, political parties too have geared up extensively in Uttar Pradesh. Recognised parties have appointed 1.92 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to monitor the process.

SP’s SIR-PDA Praharis to focus on PDA-dominated areas

Akhilesh has been vocal since the Bihar SIR exercise, stating that the Samajwadi Party will ensure no genuine voter’s name is struck off. To this end, the SP has announced SIR-PDA Praharis — party volunteers who will keep watch during the revision.

During Bihar’s SIR, reports suggested that if the exercise was conducted in UP, around 1.3 crore voters’ names could be deleted — though this figure remains speculative until the verification is complete. SP has formally declared its intention to keep a close watch on the process.

Also read: Nationwide SIR: Why are Opposition parties worried and what next? | Interview

Akhilesh has already held meetings with SIR-PDA Praharis and instructed them on vigilance, particularly in minority-dominated and PDA (Pichde-Dalit-Alpsankhyak) constituencies, where voters may lack necessary documents.

SP has said that its workers will act as SIR PDA Praharis to protect voters’ rights and ensure that “no one’s vote is stolen.” Akhilesh posted on X: “Everyone must get their right to vote; let us guard every vote to save democracy.”

A different strategy for UP than Bihar

If large numbers of voters are deleted from minority or PDA-dominated regions, it could trigger political unrest. Analysts warn that mass deletions could reshape political equations and influence the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

While voter list verification is essential for electoral integrity, parties see political implications. The Congress is keeping an eye on the process, but the SP is taking the lead in UP.

Also read: TMC warns EC against any attempt to ‘manipulate’ voter lists during SIR

Senior journalist Sneh Ranjan observes, “The SP’s strategy on SIR will become clearer in the coming days. While it has created PDA Praharis, it has not openly opposed SIR in UP. That’s deliberate — SP, along with Congress, already cast doubts on SIR during the Bihar exercise. Now, when SIR proceeds in UP, SP will question its fairness only if the results appear unfavourable.”

BJP calls SIR a step towards transparency

The BJP, on the other hand, sees SIR as a move towards greater transparency. Party leaders have openly welcomed it, saying it will help weed out fake voters.

A senior UP BJP functionary said, “We have long complained to the Election Commission about bogus voting in some regions. SIR will help remove fake names and purify the rolls.”

Another factor working in BJP’s favour is its strong booth-level network — since political parties’ BLAs will work alongside BLOs during the process, the BJP’s grassroots presence could give it an edge.

Will it impact Panchayat elections?

There is growing speculation that the SIR process may delay Uttar Pradesh’s upcoming panchayat elections. The three-tier panchayat polls are tentatively scheduled for February, and voter list revisions are currently underway.

Though Assembly and Panchayat rolls are separate, the same BLOs handle both exercises. Some suggest the number of BLOs could be increased to manage both processes simultaneously.

For now, officials say they are awaiting formal clarification on whether the SIR will affect the Panchayat poll schedule.

(This article was originally published in The Federal Desh)