The Election Commission of India (ECI) has extended the deadline for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across nine states and three Union Territories, granting election officials an additional week to complete the process. Announced on Sunday, the revised schedule now allows the distribution of enumeration forms to continue until December 11, instead of the earlier cut-off date of December 4.

With this extension, the Commission has also shifted the subsequent milestones. The draft electoral rolls will now be published on December 16, and the final voter list is scheduled for release on February 14 next year. The ECI stated that the revision aims to improve accuracy and ensure that all eligible citizens are included in the updated rolls ahead of the next electoral cycle.

However, the Congress party has sharply criticized the revised timeline, arguing that the SIR exercise cannot be fairly or comprehensively completed within such a restricted period. Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari questioned the feasibility of the schedule and urged the Election Commission to reconsider its approach. He argued that the process should follow the timeline adopted during the previous major revision in 2003, which allowed greater time for field verification.

Tiwari said the Commission should “set aside its ego” and conduct the revision with a focus on transparency and accuracy. Speaking to reporters, he stated, "Opposition parties feel that if no discussion is held on the SIR, it means the government does not want Parliament to function."

He also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging a lack of accountability in parliamentary affairs. According to Tiwari, the Prime Minister has “failed to fulfill his responsibility” by not participating in key discussions inside Parliament.