The ECI said Electoral Registration Officer of each Assembly segment would be responsible for ensuring that no eligible citizen is left out while at the same time, no ineligible person is included in the electoral roll.

“Any person is entitled to be an elector and on application to be registered in the electoral roll for that constituency if that person is a citizen of India, not less than 18 years of age as on 01.02.2020, ordinary resident of the constituency, not disqualified under any law, and not of unsound mind,” the ECI instructions to the Assam CEO read.

The Commission had last month ordered the SIR for 12 states and Union Territories – Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Puducherry, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep.

Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and West Bengal will go to elections in 2026.

As Assam is also going to polls next year, its exclusions from the SIR raised questions. However, the ECI clarified that separate provisions of the Citizenship Act apply in Assam where the Supreme Court-monitored exercise to verify citizenship was about to be concluded.