Election Commission Releases First Bengal Draft List, Over 58 Lakh Names Deleted

The Election Commission of India has issued draft electoral rolls for West Bengal after a month-long Special Intensive Revision, flagging 58,20,898 voter names for possible deletion. This marks the end of the enumeration phase and opens a detailed verification stage involving scrutiny and public participation.

The largest suggested deletions concern 24,16,852 voters reported as deceased across the state. Another 19,88,076 entries relate to people who have permanently shifted homes or migrated, according to Election Commission data. These figures together account for most of the proposed removals from Bengal's voter list.

Bengal SIR

West Bengal draft electoral rolls and voter deletions

The current exercise is part of a three-phase Special Intensive Revision. With enumeration closed, the second phase will now focus on claims, objections and formal hearings. This stage will run until February 2026, when citizens can contest deletions, correct details or re-establish eligibility on the rolls.

Scrutiny of voter records has drawn attention in a border state like West Bengal, where checks also cover foreign nationals, including Bangladeshi nationals at the Hakimpur checkpost in West Bengal. The updated draft rolls, released in New Delhi on 16 December 2025, will guide all further hearings and corrections.

Credit: Oneindia