India, Oct. 27 -- The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday announced that the second phase of the national special intensive revision (SIR) of voter rolls will begin next month in 12 states and union territories, including politically key states West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, both of which head to elections next year.

The revision exercise will also cover Uttar Pradesh, which votes in 2027, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, and Rajasthan.

Notably, Assam, which also votes in 2026, has been left out of this round.

The EC clarified that citizenship verification norms in the northeastern state "differ from the rest of the country," and the revision there w...