Bengal SIR Row: Election Commission Releases Draft Voter List, Nearly 58 Lakh Names Marked for Deletion

Kolkata: In a move that has intensified the political debate in West Bengal, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has released the draft electoral rolls following the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The draft list identifies nearly 58 lakh voter names that are proposed to be deleted ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly Elections.

The release of the draft voter list formally marks the end of the enumeration phase of the SIR process. However, election officials note that the more complex and politically sensitive phase has now begun, involving the filing of claims, objections, and hearings to determine the final shape of the voters’ list.

According to the ECI, the second phase of the three-stage SIR exercise will continue until February 2026. The final and definitive electoral roll for West Bengal is scheduled to be published on February 14, 2026, just weeks before the crucial Assembly polls.

Official data shared by the Election Commission shows that a total of 58,20,898 voter names have been identified for deletion. Of these, 24,16,852 electors have been recorded as deceased. Another 19,88,076 voters have reportedly permanently relocated or migrated outside their constituencies.

In addition, 1,38,328 names have been flagged as duplicate, fraudulent, or fictitious entries. A further 12,20,038 voters have been marked as “missing,” while 57,604 names have been recommended for deletion under “other reasons,” as per the Commission’s classification.

The ECI has clarified that voters whose names do not appear in the draft list are not without recourse. Such individuals can submit Form 6 along with supporting documents to file claims for inclusion during the objection period.

The Contentious SIR Process in West Bengal

The SIR exercise in West Bengal, conducted between December 4 and December 11, has been marked by controversy from its inception. Reports of an alleged influx of undocumented Bangladeshi nationals and complaints from booth-level officers (BLOs) about tight deadlines and excessive workload have fuelled political tensions.

The ruling Trinamool congress (TMC) has alleged that nearly 40 election officials died nationwide during the SIR exercise, claiming that the pressure and pace of the process were inhumane and poorly managed.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has emerged as one of the strongest critics of the SIR initiative, accusing the BJP and the Election Commission of conspiring to manipulate the voter list ahead of the Assembly elections.

Addressing public rallies, Banerjee urged citizens to protest if their names were removed from the electoral rolls. She also asserted that her government would not allow anyone to be “pushed out” of West Bengal.

“If your name gets deleted, the central government should also be deleted,” the Chief Minister said during an election rally, signalling her party’s intention to turn the SIR issue into a major political flashpoint.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, however, has rejected these allegations, countering that Mamata Banerjee’s opposition to the SIR exercise is aimed at protecting what it describes as an “illegal immigrant vote bank.”

Apart from West Bengal, the Special Intensive Revision exercise is also being carried out in several other states and Union Territories, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.