Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Friday, 5 June arrived in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, and held a direct interaction with election officials and Booth Level Officers (BLOs), as the Election Commission of India (ECI) ramps up groundwork ahead of the state's assembly elections. The visit signals early mobilisation for polls expected in November 2027 to elect all 68 assembly members.

What the CEC Reviewed

During the interaction, Gyanesh Kumar commended BLOs for their ongoing work in updating electoral rolls and preserving the integrity of the voters' list. BLOs serve as the ground-level backbone of the electoral machinery, conducting house-to-house visits and verifying voter data at the booth level.

The visit comes as Himachal Pradesh officials have begun preparatory groundwork for what will be a significant state election cycle. With 68 assembly constituencies up for grabs, the accuracy of electoral rolls is considered critical to a free and fair contest.

Special Intensive Revision Phase III Underway

The CEC's Dharamshala visit coincides with a broader national exercise. The Election Commission of India has launched the enumeration phase of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) – Phase III in Odisha, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Manipur, which began on 3 May 2026.

According to the ECI, all eligible electors whose Enumeration Forms are received by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) on or before 28 June 2026 will be included in the Draft Electoral Rolls. Electors unable to meet that deadline may apply through Form-6 along with the prescribed Declaration Form during the claims and objections period.

How BLOs Are Conducting the Drive

During the enumeration phase, BLOs are conducting door-to-door visits across all households, distributing, collecting, and verifying forms. Each BLO is required to carry at least 30 blank Form-6s along with blank Declaration Forms to facilitate on-the-spot enrolment of new electors.

Electors may submit their duly filled forms either directly through the BLO or through the online portal. The Commission has also allowed Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of recognised political parties to collect up to 50 forms per day from the public and hand them over to the BLO before the Draft Publication — a move aimed at widening political party participation in the process.

Legal Mandate and Scale of the SIR

The ECI, exercising its powers under Article 324 of the Constitution of India and Section 21 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, ordered the SIR across 16 states and 3 Union Territories on 14 May. The Commission has stated that the primary objective is to ensure no eligible citizen is excluded from the electoral roll and no ineligible person is included.

Notably, this is part of a sustained ECI push to clean up voter lists ahead of a dense election calendar. With Himachal Pradesh assembly polls on the horizon and a national SIR covering nearly two dozen jurisdictions, the accuracy and completeness of rolls will be under close scrutiny in the months ahead.