Around 66 lakh names likely to be deleted in post-SIR rolls in WB since start of exercise: Official

Kolkata, Feb 28 (PTI) The Election Commission (EC) is likely to delete an additional eight lakh names over and above the 58 lakh voters previously removed in the state's draft rolls, taking the total SIR-induced deletions in West Bengal to around 66 lakh so far, sources in the poll body said.

The exact figures for deletion can be ascertained only after the rolls are published in full online, an official said.

The figures reached after the final publication of the rolls may not be accurate, as there will be additions to the draft roll name removal figure via Form 6 applications and fresh deletions based on Form 7 applications, he said.

Another 60.06 lakh names were categorised as 'under adjudication' in the published rolls, signifying those currently scrutinised by judicial officers whose inclusion or deletion will be determined in subsequent supplementary lists, he added.

The adjudication category indicated that total deletions in the final electoral rolls of the state may go up significantly, EC officials said.

The commission approved a total of around 6.4 crore names in its list as "approved" voters across the state. That figure, too, is likely to go up significantly after the adjudication process for around 60 lakh voters is complete and the last supplementary list is published, they said.

The rolls were published in the offline mode in phases on Saturday afternoon, with hard copies of the list put up in SDO and BDO offices of the districts.

As of the last reports received, soft copies of the consolidated list were yet to appear online on designated EC portals voters.eci.gov.in, ceowestbengal.wb.gov.in and electoralsearch.eci.gov.in, as well as on the ECINET mobile app.

Those approved by the EC will be allowed to exercise their franchise in the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal whose schedule is likely to be announced by the poll body by the middle of March.

The published list classified 7.08 crore electors, all of whom appeared in the draft rolls, as 'approved', 'deleted' or 'under adjudication'.

The SIR process in West Bengal began on November 4 last year with the distribution of enumeration forms among voters. The EC took 116 days to provisionally complete the exercise and publish the final but incomplete list amid political turbulence, revision of document verification rules and legal challenges.

The draft rolls published on December 16 saw the electorate shrink from 7.66 crore -- to whom enumeration forms were distributed based on the appearance of names in the state's electoral rolls till August 2025 -- to 7.08 crore, with over 58 lakh names deleted due to death, migration, duplication or untraceability.

The second phase covered hearings for 1.67 crore electors -- 1.36 crore flagged for 'logical discrepancies' and 31 lakh lacking mapping.

Around 60 lakh voters remain under adjudication on grounds of 'logical discrepancy' in their enumeration forms.

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the first statewide exercise since 2002, was conceived by the Election Commission as a statutory clean-up ahead of a major election. PTI SMY PNT ACD