Asif Iqbal Naik
Jammu, February 21, 2026: Manoj Sinha on Saturday administered the oath of office to Shantmanu as the State Election Commissioner of Jammu and Kashmir at a ceremony held at Lok Bhavan.
Shantmanu formally assumed charge following the oath-taking ceremony, which was attended by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdur Rahim Rather, members of the Council of Ministers, the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police.
With the appointment of the new State Election Commissioner, attention has turned to the proposed Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of forthcoming elections to Urban Local Bodies. The SIR exercise is aimed at ensuring the accuracy of electoral rolls by updating voter details, removing duplications, deleting ineligible entries and enrolling eligible voters.
The State Election Commission is responsible for conducting elections to Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies in the Union Territory. It oversees preparation and revision of electoral rolls for these bodies, issuance of election notifications, enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct and ensuring free and fair elections at the grassroots level.
Officials said the proposed SIR, once notified, will strengthen electoral transparency and enhance public confidence in the democratic process across Jammu and Kashmir. (Agencies)
