In a letter to Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam, State Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal said that the second phase of the SIR campaign for Maharashtra’s electoral rolls is scheduled to be conducted between June 30 and July 29. During this period, the Ashadhi Wari pilgrimage will also take place, with lakhs of Warkaris participating and remaining away from their villages.

“Maharashtra has a large Warkari community and the Ashadhi Wari falls during this period. Warkaris from more than 20 districts across Western Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha travel on foot to Pandharpur in various dindis (pilgrim groups). Since they will not be at home during this time, there is a possibility that their names could be removed from the voter list,” said Sapkal.

According to the letter, the Election Commission announced the SIR programme on May 14 and nearly 72% of the mapping work in Maharashtra has already been completed. The first phase of the exercise is underway till June 19, while the second phase is scheduled from June 30 to July 29. As part of the exercise, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit homes to distribute and collect the enumeration forms from voters.

Sapkal also pointed out that, according to the weather department’s forecast, regions including the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Konkan, Pune and Satara are expected to receive heavy rainfall in July, which could disrupt normal life.

Taking all these factors into consideration, he urged the Election Commission to defer the SIR programme by at least a month to ensure no eligible voter is left out of the electoral rolls.

The next Lok Sabha polls and Maharashtra Assembly elections are due in 2029.