The Election Commission has asked electoral registration officers (EROs) to verify the documents of voters called for hearings within five days of their being uploaded on the ECINet.

The ECINet is an easy-to-use mobile app that serves as a centralised digital platform for citizens and the EC.

"The documents submitted by such electors (called for hearing) shall be verified by the issuing authorities and district election officers within a 5-day period from the date of receipt of documents in the ECINet," reads the letter dated December 24, 2025, sent to the CEOs of 12 states where the special intensive revision of voters was on.

The EC letter specifies instructions for error-free rolls. "In case the document has been issued by an authority within the state but in another district, the DEO shall refer the document through the ECINet to the respective DEO, who shall cause it to be verified and return it to the originating DEO," the EC states.

In case of documents issued from a different state, they would have to be sent to the CEO of the state concerned through its CEO for verification. "In case an elector submits a document issued by an authority from outside the state, the district election officer shall refer such cases through the CEO to the CEO of the state concerned immediate verification," the letter reads.

"Though the letter was issued to all the 12 states where the SIR was being carried out, it assumes significance particularly for Bengal as verification of documents would be a challenge in Bengal," said a source.

Sources said that apart from 32 lakh voters, who could not link themselves with the 2002 electoral rolls through self or progeny mapping, several voters could be called for the hearing whose enumeration forms had serious discrepancies.

"Over a crore of documents will have to be verified during the hearing as more than a crore voters would be called for the hearing in Bengal. This is the reason why the instructions are more relevant for Bengal compared to other states," said a source.

Verification of voter documents would be crucial as the Opposition parties in Bengal, mainly the BJP, have been alleging that the ruling Trinamool Congress was "helping" ineligible voters get documents by unfair means.

"In Bengal, there are 85 lakh voters whose enumeration forms raise serious doubts as their progeny mapping revealed grave discrepancies. If the documents are not verified properly, many ineligible voters could get included in the electoral rolls," said a source.

Some officials said the EC should focus on authorities issuing documents as well with complaints coming up that many birth certificates and school leaving certificates were being issued by authorities concerned in a hurry.

"If forged documents are sent for verification, will authorities flag them, particularly when the ruling party has been opposing the SIR from the start? The EC should focus on (certificate) issuing authorities like the local bodies, health and education departments to prepare error-free electoral rolls," said a bureaucrat.