Goa SIR process 'completely transparent', says CEO Sanjay Goel
Synopsis
Goa's Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Goel pushed back on Friday against reports of a flawed Special Intensive Revision process, insisting the exercise was fully transparent and that 97 voters dropped by ECINet software can reclaim their franchise through Form 6. The denial comes seven months after SIR was completed — raising questions about why the controversy has surfaced only now.
Key Takeaways
Goa Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Goel on 25 September 2026 denied that the state's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was flawed.
A media report had claimed the CEO's office wrote to the ECI eight times in seven days over 97 voters deleted by the ECINet software .
Booth Level Officers conducted a house-to-house survey for omitted voters; those willing were helped to file Form 6 as early as March–April .
Goel said no political party raised any objection during the SIR process, and all appeals received were disposed of.
The SIR exercise in Goa was completed seven months ago; most voters who filed Form 6 have been reinstated on the rolls.
Goa Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Goel on Friday, 25 September 2026, firmly denied media reports alleging that the state's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was 'flawed', insisting the exercise was 'completely transparent' and that most voters whose names were dropped have since been reinstated on the rolls after filing Form 6.
Background: What the Reports Claimed
The denial follows a media report alleging that the Goa CEO's office had written to the Election Commission of India (ECI) as many as eight times in seven days to address the deletion of 97 voters by the ECINet software. The report raised questions about possible systemic gaps in the SIR process conducted months earlier.
What the CEO Said
Sanjay Goel addressed the controversy directly while speaking to reporters. 'Representatives of the Congress party have submitted a memorandum. We have explained to them that the entire SIR process has been carried out transparently,' he said. He further noted that in every state, meetings were held with political parties at the Circle Officer (CO) and District Officer (DO) levels, all logical discrepancy lists were displayed at polling stations, and the final electoral roll was shared with all parties. He also pointed out that it has been seven months since the SIR exercise in Goa was wrapped up.
On the question of the eight emails sent to the ECI within a week, Goel described them as routine correspondence. 'There are clarifications sought by us and instructions sent by them. We also seek their help in the process. All these keep happening,' he said.
The 97 Deleted Voters
Addressing the specific case of the 97 voters reportedly removed from the rolls by the ECINet software, Goel said that Booth Level Officers subsequently conducted a house-to-house survey to identify those left out and facilitated the filing of Form 6. He added that eligible voters who had been available and willing were helped to fill the form as early as March–April. 'If those still left are available and willing, they can fill out Form 6, following which their names will also be included. They will be able to avail their voting rights,' he said.
No Complaint from Parties During the Process
Goel also stressed that no political party had raised any objection during the SIR exercise itself. 'We had disposed of the handful of appeals that were received. Apart from this, we didn't receive any complaint from any political party. Even when the representatives of political parties were present during the SIR process, they had not raised any objection,' he said.
Goel's Assurance on Voting Rights
Rejecting any suggestion of a 'big mistake or blunder', Goel maintained that the Form 6 mechanism had always been in place to address omissions. 'It is nothing like someone's voting right has been permanently snatched away,' he said. He confirmed that a majority of voters who submitted Form 6 have had their names restored to the electoral rolls in time to cast their votes. The Goa CEO reiterated that all steps were taken 'with the support and teamwork' of the ECI.
Point of View
Yet Congress chose to submit a memorandum only now, suggesting political calculus is at play ahead of any upcoming electoral cycle in Goa. Goel's defence is procedurally sound, but the admission that eight communications were sent to the ECI in a single week over 97 voters does suggest the ECINet software threw up anomalies that required escalation. The real issue is not whether Form 6 was available as a remedy, but whether voters who do not know they have been dropped will proactively seek it out — a burden that ideally should not rest entirely on the citizen.
NationPress
25 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Goa?
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a periodic exercise conducted by the Election Commission of India to update and clean up electoral rolls, adding eligible voters and removing ineligible entries. In Goa, the SIR was completed approximately seven months before September 2026, and its process involved meetings with political parties and display of discrepancy lists at polling stations.
Why were 97 voters deleted from Goa's electoral rolls?
According to reports, the ECINet software used during the SIR process deleted 97 voters from Goa's electoral rolls. The Goa CEO's office reportedly wrote to the Election Commission of India eight times in seven days to address these deletions, though the CEO described the communications as routine correspondence.
Can the deleted voters in Goa get their names back on the electoral rolls?
Yes. The Goa CEO said that voters left out of the electoral rolls can file Form 6 to have their names reinstated. Booth Level Officers conducted house-to-house surveys and facilitated Form 6 filings; those who remain left out can still file the form and reclaim their voting rights.
What has the Congress party said about Goa's SIR process?
Congress representatives submitted a memorandum to the Goa CEO raising concerns about the SIR process. Goel said his office had explained the full process to them and maintained that no objection was raised by any political party during the actual SIR exercise.
Was there any permanent loss of voting rights due to the Goa SIR discrepancy?
The Goa CEO stated that no voting rights have been permanently removed. The Form 6 mechanism remains available for any voter whose name was omitted, and the CEO confirmed that the majority of voters who filed the form have already had their names restored in time to vote.
