Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar addresses during the inaugural session of India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on January 21, 2026. Photo: X/@ECISVEEP via ANI
As controversy continues over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Wednesday (21 January 2026) said no appeals had been filed after the “cleansing of the electoral rolls” and no re-polling was necessary in Bihar, where the first phase of the exercise was held before the elections last year.
In his inaugural address at the International Conference on Democracy and Electoral Management in India (IICDEM) 2026, Mr. Kumar said a “clean” electoral roll was key to strengthening democracy.
Also Read: Supreme Court Hearing on SIR Updates
“Clean electoral rolls, including every voter under the law, are essential to strengthen democracy and ensure that all elections are held on the basis of electoral rolls,” he said.
He said that the electoral rolls in Bihar were revised under intense public scrutiny and added, “From the cleansing of the rolls to the conduct of the elections, the local electoral machinery has achieved a great level of efficiency.”
“Bihar went to polls a few months ago. The first step was to clean the electoral rolls, including eligible voters. This phase has been completed and there is a provision under the election laws that a voter of any segment of the assembly can file an appeal, so no wrong name will be included and no correct name will be excluded. You will be amazed at the efficiency of the BLO, the Election Bureau and the Electoral Office for a constituency of 75 million voters, there were zero appeals,” he said.
“Another success achieved in Bihar elections…there were almost a thousand polling booths…how many re-elections were required – zero. That was the level of accuracy and efficiency achieved by our returning officers, sector judges and presiding officers in every booth,” he said.
SIR Phase II is underway in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
The chairmen of 42 electoral management bodies (EMBs) participated in the IICDEM plenary. The EMB Leaders’ Plenary is a forum that brings together EMB Heads and Leaders together with Ambassadors/High Commissioners for a high-level exchange of views on democracy and electoral management.
IICDEM-2026 is the largest conference of its kind on Democracy and Electoral Management that India has ever hosted. India shared thematic priorities as International IDEA Chair for 2026, while EMB leaders and country representatives discussed the global challenges facing democracy and electoral administration.
Published – 21 Jan 2026 20:38 IST
