The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal reported that political parties and electors have taken part in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state’s draft electoral roll, with authorities urging further scrutiny ahead of the 15 January deadline.
West Bengal electoral roll update
The draft electoral list, published by the Election Commission of India on 16 December, currently contains 7,08,16,630 electors. During the SIR enumeration period, officials removed more than 58.2 lakh names after verifying records and resolving discrepancies.
Between 17 and 31 December, political parties were permitted to submit claims and objections concerning the draft roll. The CEO’s daily bulletin shows eight total submissions from parties seeking inclusion of eligible electors. The breakdown was: the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) one claim; the Communist Party of India (Marxist) two; the All India Trinamool Congress three; the Bahujan Samaj Party one; and the All India Forward Bloc one. The Indian National Congress did not submit any claims during this window.
Electors themselves were active in large numbers. Officials received 1,74,459 claims for inclusion (Forms 6 and 6A) following publication of the draft roll, while 37,781 requests were lodged seeking exclusion of ineligible names (Form 7). The bulletin noted there were no affidavits filed under Section 2(G) of the Representation of the People Act, 1980, other than those permitted by Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
Election authorities have emphasised that the revision process is intended to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the voter list ahead of forthcoming polls. The CEO’s office has called on all eligible electors and recognised political parties to review the draft electoral roll and submit any further claims or objections before the final deadline of 15 January.
Officials say the deletions carried out during the SIR were part of routine verification, designed to remove duplicate, deceased or otherwise ineligible entries. The scale of removals—over 58.2 lakh names—reflects the the thoroughness of the enumeration work carried out across the state.
Local election administrators will now process the claims and objections received from both parties and individual electors. Those found valid will be included in the final roll, while improper entries will be excluded following the prescribed verification procedures. The CEO’s update does not indicate any extraordinary disputes stemming from the claims submitted by political parties.
As the deadline approaches, election officials plan to maintain public communications and facilitate access to the necessary forms and offices for review. The stable, transparent completion of the SIR is expected to help reinforce public confidence in the electoral roll ahead of the next electoral cycle in West Bengal.
Key Takeaways:
- West Bengal is conducting a Special Intensive Revision of the draft electoral roll, with 7,08,16,630 electors currently listed.
- Political parties submitted eight claims for inclusion; electors filed 1,74,459 inclusion requests and 37,781 exclusion requests.
- The Election Commission published the draft on 16 December and over 58.2 lakh names were deleted during enumeration.
- Residents and parties have until 15 January to review the West Bengal electoral roll and submit further claims.
