ECI Brings ‘Mark VIP’ Feature Amid Row Over SIR Electoral Roll Revision

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has introduced a “Mark VIP” feature in the app used by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, allowing officials to flag certain electors as VIPs during the verification process.

According to a Hindustan Times report, the BLO App was updated with the feature on July 30, while the update was recorded on Apple's App Store on July 31. The ECI has not responded to questions about why the feature was introduced and under what authority.

What Is The ‘Mark VIP’ Feature?

The feature allows a BLO to mark an elector as a VIP after visiting the person's residence. The recommendation is then subject to verification by the Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO), Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) and subsequently the Chief Electoral Officer's office, according to officials cited by HT.

BLOs in Delhi and Haryana confirmed that the module was live on their apps, while BLOs in West Bengal said the feature was not available when the state's SIR began in November 2025.

The development comes amid scrutiny over prominent voters receiving notices during Delhi's SIR. Several high-profile names, including Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, former deputy prime minister LK Advani, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, were among those who were sent notices over flagged discrepancies.

However, the concept of “marked electors” is not entirely new. The ECI's March 2023 Manual on Electoral Rolls provides for certain categories of electors, including MPs, MLAs, MLCs, holders of declared offices and personalities from fields such as arts, culture, journalism and sports, to be flagged in the electoral database.

How Will VIP Voters Be Treated During SIR?

According to officials cited by HT, being marked as a VIP does not mean that a voter is automatically exempt from the SIR process or from claims and objections.

The ECI manual says marked electors should appear in the draft electoral roll so that necessary documents can be collected during the claims and objections period.

Officials told HT that the VIP marking system is intended to facilitate the processing of such voters. A BLO from Delhi's Kalkaji said the feature helps officials identify VIP electors and ensure that their forms are processed.

The report also noted that the Delhi CEO's office said there are about 3,000 VIP electors in Delhi, while an official from New Delhi district said there were around 1,000 in that district alone.

The development comes as the ECI's SIR exercise has generated scrutiny over notices issued to voters over “logical discrepancies” and other issues in electoral-roll records.