West Bengal's Draft Electoral Rolls Spark Controversy: Over 58 Lakh Voters Affected
Kolkata's Electoral Roll Update
Kolkata: The Election Commission (EC) has released the draft electoral rolls for West Bengal, revealing that over 58 lakh voters have been removed for various reasons, including death, migration, and failure to submit enumeration forms.
Following these removals, the updated draft electoral rolls are expected to list 7,08,16,631 voters, a decrease of 58,20,898 from the previous total of 7,66,37,529.
With assembly elections anticipated early next year, the draft rolls, along with a comprehensive list detailing the deleted voters and the reasons for their removal, are now accessible on the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal's website, the EC's voter portal, and the ECINET application.
A senior official from the commission indicated that hearings for affected voters will commence in about a week.
The time gap between the draft roll publication and the start of hearings is necessary for printing notices, serving them to the relevant voters, and creating a digital backup in the EC database.
This publication follows weeks of political tension and public uncertainty regarding voter status during the SIR process, which took place from November 4 to December 11.
The commission noted that the list of deleted voters includes individuals who were on the January 2025 electoral rolls but are absent from the current draft.
Voters can check if their names or those of their family members have been removed and the reasons for such deletions through a dedicated portal.
Sources from the commission stated that the majority of deletions were due to what were termed 'uncollectable SIR enumeration forms', totaling over 58 lakh.
These cases involved voters who were deceased, had permanently relocated, were untraceable, or were identified as duplicate voters across multiple constituencies.
A detailed breakdown from the CEO's office revealed that 24,16,852 voters were marked as deceased, 19,88,076 had permanently moved, and 12,20,038 were listed as missing or untraceable.
Additionally, 1.38 lakh voters were found to have duplicate entries, while 1,83,328 names were categorized as 'ghost' voters. More than 57,000 names were removed due to other complications identified during enumeration.
In total, 58,20,898 names have been excluded from the draft rolls, leaving 7,08,16,631 voters registered in the state.
The Election Commission emphasized that being removed from the draft roll does not signify the end for affected voters.
"Those aggrieved can submit their claims using Form 6 along with a Declaration Form and supporting documents during the designated period for claims and objections, from December 16, 2025, to January 15, 2026," stated an EC official.
Subrata Gupta, the Special Roll Observer for West Bengal, sought to ease public concerns, advising voters whose names are missing from the draft list not to panic.
He mentioned that approximately 30 lakh voters whose details could not be matched with the 2002 electoral rolls would be invited for hearings, allowing them to present documents and prove their eligibility before a final decision is made.
The draft rolls were made available on the Booth Level Officer (BLO) application a day prior to their official release, which had already ignited significant political debate.
Following the release of the draft rolls, the commission urged all voters to verify their names online or by visiting their local BLOs.
Hard copies of the draft rolls will be distributed to BLOs at the booth level, and they have been instructed to be present at booths on the publication day.
Soft copies will also be shared with representatives from the state's eight recognized political parties.
The publication of the draft rolls has intensified political divisions within the state.
Immediately after the draft rolls were released, the ruling TMC accused the BJP and the Election Commission of a 'joint conspiracy', claiming that the hearings for nearly two crore voters were an attempt to intimidate citizens and question their citizenship.
A senior TMC leader assured that every voter's rights would be safeguarded and warned against what they termed a 'coordinated effort to instill fear'.
The BJP dismissed these allegations, with the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, ridiculing the claims and stating, 'This is just the beginning. Breakfast has just begun. There will be lunch, tea, and then dinner.'
While he refrained from providing updated figures on deletions, Adhikari mentioned he would comment further after the final rolls are published on February 14, as per the commission's timeline.
The SIR process has also been accompanied by claims of 'SIR-related panic', following reports of deaths in various regions of the state.
According to the TMC, 40 ordinary citizens, including four BLOs, have died due to SIR-related panic, including instances of suicide.
The BJP has dismissed these claims of SIR-related deaths as 'politically motivated', asserting that the ruling party is attempting to 'exploit human tragedies'.