On 16th December, Tuesday, the Election Commission released the draft electoral rolls of West Bengal after completing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). This exercise resulted in the removal of over 58 lakh voter names from the state’s electoral records. Election officials explained that the deletions were carried out for several reasons, including death, migration, and the non-submission of enumeration forms during the verification process.

According to officials, out of the total deletions, 24 lakh voter names have been marked as “dead.” Another 19 lakh voters have been classified as “relocated,” indicating that they have permanently moved or migrated from their registered constituencies. In addition, 12 lakh names have been tagged as “missing,” while 1.3 lakh entries were found to be “duplicate.” These removals were part of a statewide effort to clean the voter database and ensure that the electoral rolls reflect accurate and up-to-date information.

Official figures further show that after these deletions, the draft electoral rolls of West Bengal are expected to contain the names of 7,08,16,631 voters. This number is 58,20,898 less than the earlier electorate strength of 7,66,37,529 before the Special Intensive Revision was conducted. The impact of this exercise has been felt across the state, including in high-profile constituencies. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who casts her vote at the Bhowanipore polling station in south Kolkata, reportedly saw the removal of at least 127 names from that polling area.

A detailed breakup of the deletions shows that a total of 58,20,898 voter names have been identified for removal. This includes 24,16,852 voters declared deceased, 19,88,076 voters who have either permanently shifted or migrated, and 1,38,328 names identified as duplicate, fraudulent, or fictitious registrations. In addition, 12,20,038 voters were marked as missing. Beyond these categories, another 57,604 names have been proposed for deletion under “other reasons.” At the same time, individuals whose names do not appear in the draft voter list have been given the option to submit Form 6 along with supporting documents to claim inclusion.

According to a senior election official, nearly 30,00,000 voters could not be traced using the 2002 electoral list during the last Special Intensive Revision, a development reported by Hindustan Times. The official also stated that due to discrepancies found in enumeration forms, an additional 1,67,00,000 voters are currently under examination by the poll panel. This scrutiny is aimed at identifying errors and resolving inconsistencies in voter data.

The Election Commission has classified these inconsistencies into seven categories. These include cases where a voter’s father’s name does not match the records from the 2002 list, situations where the age gap between voters and their parents is either less than 15 years or more than 50 years, and instances where the age difference between voters and their grandparents is below 40 years. The list of inconsistencies also includes records where the gender mentioned does not match previous data.

An election official explained the verification process, stating, “The Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will reverify the details of these voters after a house visit. If the discrepancies still remain, they will be called for hearing by the Electoral Registration Office (ERO).” This step-by-step approach is meant to ensure fairness while correcting errors in the electoral rolls.

To help voters verify their details, the Election Commission has provided several options. Voters can check their information by entering their name or Elector’s Photo Identity Card number on official websites such as voters.eci.gov.in, ceowestbengal.wb.gov.in/SIR, and eci.gov.in. The ECINET mobile application also offers verification services. For those who cannot access online platforms, Booth Level Officers can be contacted directly, as they have been provided with booth-wise draft electoral rolls through a dedicated application. Booth Level Assistants are also available to help voters during this process.

The release of the draft electoral roll marks the completion of the first phase of the revision process. This now opens the door for claims, objections, and hearings. Voters and political parties can submit claims or objections regarding the inclusion or deletion of names in the draft list until 15th January 2026. Hearings and verification will take place between 16th January and 7th February, while 14th February has been scheduled for the publication of the final electoral roll. These developments are taking place as West Bengal is expected to hold its assembly elections early next year.

For official information and updates, readers can refer to the Election Commission of India website at https://eci.gov.in and the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal portal at https://ceowestbengal.wb.gov.in.