50 lakh names marked for potential deletion in WB
Kolkata
In a major development ahead of the 2026 electoral cycle, nearly 50 lakh names in West Bengal have been identified for possible exclusion from the voters’ list during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) being conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The revision process, which began on November 4, involves the digitisation and scrutiny of enumeration forms to update and correct voter records across the state.
According to officials from the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office in West Bengal, the number of names marked for exclusion has risen sharply in just 24 hours. While digitisation trends on Tuesday evening placed the figure slightly above 46 lakh, the count climbed to nearly 50 lakh by indicating an addition of around four lakh names within a single day.
Of the total names identified so far, over 23 lakh fall under the deceased voters category, making it the largest segment flagged for removal. This is followed by more than 18 lakh voters listed under the shifted category. Additionally, over seven lakh names have been marked as untraceable, while the remaining cases include duplicate entries and other discrepancies requiring deletion.
Election officials emphasise that these trends are preliminary, and the final number of deletions will be confirmed after the publication of the draft voters’ list on December 16. This will kick off the notice phase, during which electoral registration officers (EROs) will issue notices, conduct hearings, verify claims, and process objections. The phase will run concurrently from December 16 to February 7, 2026.
Subsequently, the checking of electoral roll parameters and securing ECI’s approval for the final list will take place on February 10, 2026. The final electoral roll, earlier scheduled for February 7, will now be published on February 14.
