West Bengal's Voter List Update: Nearly 55 Lakh Excludable Voters Identified

In West Bengal, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has digitized nearly all enumeration forms, identifying around 55 lakh voters as potentially excludable. This includes 23 lakh deceased voters, with further details expected after the draft voters' list is published on December 16. The Election Commission has mandated a thorough re-verification of deceased voter data from multiple sources, ensuring accuracy in the electoral process. The final voters' list will be released on February 14, following the completion of all necessary procedures.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 6, 2025, 12:52 IST

Significant Progress in Voter Enumeration

Kolkata, Dec 6: Almost all enumeration forms have been digitized during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal, revealing that around 55 lakh voters are potentially excludable.

As of the latest updates, the total number of voters whose names may be removed from the electoral list stands at 54,59,541, an increase from 52,99,663 reported the previous night, according to officials from the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal.

"Among the identified excludable voters, 23,71,239 are recorded as deceased. The remaining individuals fall into categories such as shifted, untraceable, and duplicate voters. A small number of voters have also been marked for exclusion due to other reasons," sources from the CEO's office indicated.

Further clarity on this matter is expected with the publication of the draft voters' list on December 16.

The total voter count as of October 27 was 7,66,37,529, with the SIR process commencing on November 4.

The draft voters' list is set to be released on December 16, while the final list will be available on February 14, following the completion of all necessary procedures.

On Friday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued new guidelines to electoral officers involved in the ongoing SIR in West Bengal, particularly concerning the creation of a separate list for deceased voters.

Electoral officers have been instructed to verify the data of individuals already classified as deceased during the digitization process, cross-referencing with records from 2002.

The ECI has outlined three primary sources for this re-verification: records of deaths registered with municipal bodies, death records from insurance companies and banks, and lists of beneficiaries under various state government welfare schemes, especially those related to death benefits.