West Bengal's Voter Enrollment Faces Challenges Ahead of Assembly Elections

The draft voters' list released in West Bengal reveals a concerning disparity between new voter applications and the number of voters excluded from the previous list. With only 3,24,800 new applications compared to over 58 lakh exclusions, officials anticipate an increase in submissions as the final list publication date approaches. The Election Commission has flagged numerous cases of suspicious family-tree data, which could impact voter retention. As the state prepares for crucial Assembly elections, the integrity of the voter list remains a pressing issue.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 19, 2025, 20:51 IST

Voter Enrollment Statistics in West Bengal

Kolkata, Dec 19: The recently released draft voters’ list on December 16 reveals a stark contrast between new voter applications and the number of voters excluded from the previous list as of October 2025.

According to officials from the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in West Bengal, only 3,24,800 applications for new voter enrollment have been submitted during the initial phase, while a staggering 58,20,899 voters have been removed from the earlier list.

Furthermore, the new applications are minimal when compared to the 30,59,273 unmapped voters—those lacking any association with the 2002 voters' list, which was the last time the Special Enrollment Revision (SIR) was conducted in the state, either through self-mapping or progeny mapping.

The 3,24,800 applications submitted via Form-6 include first-time voters who have just turned 18, as well as those seeking to transfer their voter registration.

However, insiders from the CEO's office anticipate that this number will rise in the coming weeks, as there is ample time left for submitting Form-6. The final voters’ list is set to be published on February 14 next year, concluding the SIR process that began on November 4.

Following this, the Election Commission of India (ECI) will announce the polling dates for the significant Assembly elections scheduled for next year.

The ECI has clarified that inclusion in the draft voters’ list, whether through self-mapping or progeny mapping, does not guarantee retention in the final list. This is particularly relevant as the Commission has flagged 1.60 crore voters with suspicious family-tree data during the revision process.

Many of these voters with questionable family data will be called for hearings to clarify the anomalies. Instances include voters with identical names for both parents in the last list, those who became fathers at the age of 15 or younger, and even individuals identified as grandfathers at the age of 40 or younger. One notable case involves a voter reportedly becoming a father of two sons at just five years old.