ECI Begins Preparations For Major Voter Verification Exercise In West Bengal Starting November 1

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is expected to begin the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal from November 1, following the completion of a similar exercise in Bihar. All District Election Officers (DEOs) and District Magistrates (DMs) have been directed to prepare for immediate implementation.

According to a report by News 18, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal has instructed all District Magistrates to start preparations without delay and ensure that any pending work related to voter records is completed at the earliest. The directives were issued following a high-level meeting between the CEO and the Election Commission.

Sources said the CEO's office will now operate 24×7, with all personnel involved in the SIR process required to remain on duty. Each DEO and Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) has been asked to establish a help desk in their respective offices to assist with SIR-related issues.

A multi-party meeting is scheduled to be convened immediately after the formal announcement of the SIR, both at the state level by the CEO and at the district level by the DMs. All discussions and outcomes from these meetings will be submitted to the Election Commission for review.

The communication from the CEO to all District Magistrates underlined the need for full preparedness, as the SIR exercise could begin "at any moment." The move comes as part of the Commission's broader plan to conduct a nationwide voter verification and roll purification drive.

Earlier this month, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar confirmed that the ECI had already approved a pan-India Special Intensive Revision to ensure accurate and updated voter lists across all states and Union Territories. "The Election Commission has already taken a decision to conduct a pan-India SIR in every state and Union Territory. It is a work in progress. The EC will decide on the dates and make a formal announcement," he said at a recent press conference.

Bihar's SIR Exercise Sets Precedent

Before West Bengal, the ECI had conducted the Special Intensive Revision exercise in Bihar ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. The revision led to the deletion of approximately 69 lakh names from the voter list due to deaths, duplicate entries, and inclusion of ineligible or illegal voters. After the clean-up, Bihar's total number of registered voters stood at 7.43 crore.

The exercise, however, sparked controversy, with opposition parties alleging that the EC's efforts were an attempt to "disenfranchise voters" before the polls. The Commission dismissed the allegations, clarifying that the revision aimed to "purify" voter rolls and prevent electoral malpractice.

The success of the Bihar model is expected to guide similar initiatives across India. The Election Commission believes that implementing the SIR uniformly will help standardise voter verification and strengthen the integrity of electoral rolls ahead of upcoming elections.

Keywords: Election Commission of India, West Bengal, Special Intensive Revision, electoral rolls, Bihar, voter list, Gyanesh Kumar, Chief Electoral Officer, District Magistrates, Assembly elections.