Election Commission extends Telangana SIR deadline to August 3
Synopsis
The Election Commission has quietly but significantly pushed back Telangana's entire SIR calendar — BLO visits, draft rolls, claims window, and final publication — by nearly two weeks. With over 3.38 crore voters and only 54.84 per cent of forms digitised, the extension is a practical necessity, but it compresses the final processing window ahead of October's roll publication.
Key Takeaways
The Election Commission of India extended the Telangana SIR BLO house-to-house visit deadline from 24 July to 3 August .
The draft electoral roll publication is now scheduled for 10 August , shifted from 31 July .
Claims and objections can be filed from 10 August to 9 September ; disposal extended through 10 October .
The final electoral rolls will be published on 12 October , revised from 1 October .
BLOs have distributed forms to all 3,38,26,004 voters; 54.84 per cent of forms have been digitised as of 15 July .
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi welcomed the extension and urged the Telangana government to issue PRCs to eligible electors.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday, 15 July revised the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) schedule for Telangana, pushing the house-to-house enumeration by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) from 24 July to 3 August. The poll body also extended the rationalisation and rearrangement of polling stations to the same revised date.
Revised SIR Schedule at a Glance
Under the updated timeline, the draft publication of electoral rolls has been shifted to 10 August, replacing the earlier deadline of 31 July. The period for filing claims and objections will now run from 10 August to 9 September, while the notice phase and disposal of claims and objections will continue through 10 October. The final publication of electoral rolls is now scheduled for 12 October, a revision from the original 1 October date.
Where the Enumeration Stands
According to the status report released on 15 July, BLOs have achieved 100 per cent distribution of enumeration forms across Telangana. The Chief Electoral Officer confirmed that forms have been distributed to all 3,38,26,004 registered voters in the state. Election officials have so far digitised 54.84 per cent of the returned enumeration forms, signalling that the back-end processing is well underway even as the field phase extends.
What the Original Schedule Said
As announced in May, the house-to-house enumeration was originally slated to run from 25 June to 24 July. The extension reflects the scale of the exercise — covering over 3.38 crore voters — and the administrative complexity of digitising returned forms at pace. This is a standard mid-cycle revision; the ECI has historically adjusted SIR timelines in large states when field completion rates warrant it.
Owaisi Welcomes Extension, Seeks Residence Certificates
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi welcomed the ECI's decision to extend the return of enumeration forms by 10 days. Owaisi expressed hope that the Telangana government would issue Family Register Certificates or Permanent Residence Certificates (PRCs) to eligible electors, describing the move as a potential 'boon for poor people of the state.' Earlier, while addressing a book and school kit distribution event, Owaisi had urged residents who received enumeration forms to submit them to BLOs promptly rather than waiting until the deadline.
What Happens Next
With digitisation at roughly 55 per cent and the field phase now running until 3 August, election officials in Telangana face a compressed window to complete processing before the 10 August draft roll publication. The accuracy of the final rolls — due 12 October — will depend on how efficiently claims and objections are resolved in the 10 August–10 October window. Voter welfare groups and political parties are expected to monitor the process closely, particularly in urban constituencies where migrant and tenant voters are hardest to enumerate.
Point of View
The real pressure is on data entry infrastructure, not field staff. Owaisi's call for PRCs is worth watching: if the Telangana government acts on it, it could meaningfully expand the voter base in constituencies with large migrant and tenant populations — a politically consequential outcome that goes well beyond a routine schedule revision.
NationPress
15 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has the Election Commission extended the Telangana SIR deadline?
The Election Commission extended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) schedule for Telangana to allow more time for BLOs to complete house-to-house enumeration across over 3.38 crore voters. As of 15 July, only 54.84 per cent of returned forms had been digitised, making the extension operationally necessary.
What is the new SIR schedule for Telangana?
The BLO enumeration deadline has moved to 3 August, draft rolls will be published on 10 August, claims and objections run from 10 August to 9 September, and final electoral rolls are due on 12 October 2025.
What did Asaduddin Owaisi say about the SIR extension?
AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi welcomed the 10-day extension for returning enumeration forms. He also urged the Telangana government to issue Family Register Certificates or Permanent Residence Certificates (PRCs) to eligible electors, calling it a potential boon for the state's poor.
How many voters are covered under the Telangana SIR?
The SIR covers all 3,38,26,004 registered voters in Telangana. BLOs have completed 100 per cent distribution of enumeration forms, with 54.84 per cent of forms digitised as of 15 July.
When will the final Telangana electoral rolls be published?
The final electoral rolls for Telangana are scheduled for publication on 12 October 2025, revised from the earlier target of 1 October.
