KOLKATA, Feb 26: The Election Commission (EC) will publish the post-Special Intensive Revision (SIR) electoral rolls in West Bengal on February 28, including all 7.08 crore names from the draft list, divided into three categories: “approved,” “deleted,” and “adjudication/under consideration,” an EC official said.
This release, in line with Supreme Court directives, is not the final list, as supplementary rolls will continue to be issued in phases while scrutiny and adjudication of “logical discrepancy” cases progress. Voters marked “adjudication” will not be allowed to vote until formally cleared, while “deleted” names will remain visible without reasons. Aggrieved voters will have opportunities to restore their entries later under EC provisions.
Names verified by February 25, when the SIR process concluded, will appear as “approved.” About 60 lakh voters referred to judicial officers for scrutiny of discrepancies will be listed under “adjudication” and remain ineligible to vote. At the time of the SIR notification, West Bengal had 7.66 crore registered voters.
After the first phase, 58 lakh names were deleted for reasons including death, migration, duplication, or untraceability, reducing the electorate to 7.08 crore in the December 16 draft rolls. The second phase covered 1.67 crore electors, including 1.36 crore flagged for logical discrepancies and 31 lakh lacking mapping.
The February 28 publication will allow voters to check the status of their entries. Printing will begin on February 27, and the lists will be made available at district and sub-divisional offices, polling booths, and online. Fresh applicants will be added through supplementary rolls issued in phases, coinciding with ongoing elections.
The exercise has generated political controversy ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged a conspiracy to remove over 1.2 crore genuine voters, claiming that 20 lakh were deleted surreptitiously after the February 14 hearing deadline.
The Trinamool Congress warned that such deletions could disenfranchise eligible voters, while the EC maintained that the revision aims to ensure accuracy and remove ineligible entries.
With the categorized rolls reflecting voter status, political parties are expected to closely scrutinize them. The publication will play a key role in verifying entries, addressing disputes, and shaping the electoral landscape in the lead-up to the state polls, even as adjudication and supplementary updates continue in phases. (PTI)
