New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is considering holding a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across the country after carrying out the exercise in poll-bound Bihar, sources said.

Before implementing SIR in the rest of the country, the Election Commission has called a conference of Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) in Delhi on September 10. The CEOs have been asked to make PowerPoint presentations on 10 key points for the meeting:

The Chief Election Commissioner, Election Commissioners, and senior EC officials will participate in the Delhi conference. In its June 24 order regarding Bihar, the poll body had already indicated that SIR would eventually be implemented nationwide. “Under Section 21 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, along with other applicable provisions, the Commission is empowered to direct a Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, including preparation of fresh rolls. Therefore, the Commission has now decided to begin the Special Intensive Revision across the country to fulfil its constitutional mandate to protect the integrity of electoral rolls.

However, since Legislative Assembly elections are due later this year in Bihar, the Commission has decided to first conduct SIR in the State of Bihar as per the attached guidelines and schedule. The schedule for the rest of the country will be issued separately in due course," it said.

The SIR process is already underway in Bihar and will be completed by September 30.

The exercise has seen the Opposition locking horns with the government, claiming that the BJP’s real intention behind SIR is to delete names of existing voters and add new ones to win the Bihar elections.