After NDA sweeps Bihar polls, PM urges all parties to participate in SIR to 'clean up' rolls
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged all political parties to participate in the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls by appointing their workers in all polling stations, as he lauded the people of Bihar for "supporting" the exercise to "clean up" the voters' list.
Addressing BJP workers at the party headquarters here after NDA's stunning victory in Bihar elections, Modi said voters of Bihar have given a "massive support" to the special intensive revision (SIR).
He said it was a duty of all political parties to activate their workers in all polling booths and "contribute in purification of voters' list," he said.
In phase two of SIR in nine states and three Union territories, 46.5 crore enumeration forms have so far been distributed.
The states and UTs are: Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep.
Among these, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, and West Bengal will go to polls in 2026.
In Assam, where elections are also due in 2026, the revision of electoral rolls will be announced separately.
Phase two of the SIR exercise began on November 4 with the enumeration stage and will continue till December 4.
The EC will release the draft electoral rolls on December 9, and the final rolls will be published on February 7.
The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and the DMK in Tamil Nadu have opposed the SIR exercise, claiming it will disenfranchise eligible citizens for want of documents.
After the SIR in Bihar, the EC has included the Aadhaar card in the list of indicative documents people will have to submit in the 12 states and UTs.
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RCB beat MI by 18 runs after batters fire
Mumbai (PTI): Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar, Phil Salt and Virat Kohli blasted half-centuries as the defending champions beat Mumbai Indians by 18 runs in an Indian Premier League match here on Sunday.
Salt (78 off 36 balls) and Kohli (50 off 38 balls) stitched together a 120-run stand for the opening wicket before Patidar scored a rapid 53 off just 20 balls as RCB posted 240 for 4.
In response, Mumbai Indians were restricted to 222 for 5, with RCB spinner Suyash Sharma (2/47) putting the skids on the home side with a double strike in the eighth over, from which they could not recover.
Sherfane Rutherford top-scored for MI with an unbeaten 71 off 31 balls.
While opener Rohit Sharma appeared to be struggling with a hamstring issue and had to retire hurt on 19, his partner Ryan Rickelton made 37, while Suryakumar Yadav (33) and Hardik Pandya (40) were the other contributors for MI.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 240 for 4 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 78, Virat Kohli 50, Rajat Patidar 53, Tim David 35 not out).
Mumbai Indians: 222 for 5 in 20 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 71 not out, Ryan Rickelton 37, Hardik Pandya 40; Suyash Sharma 2/47).
