West Bengal Elections: EC To Delete Over 58 lakh Names? Here's What Reports Claim

If media reports are to be believed, then the Eletion Commission is all set to remove nearly 58.8 lakh names from the West Bengal voter list. This major change in the voters' list may change the entire political scenario of the state, which will head into Assembly elections early next year. The scale of the exercise has already triggered a sharp political confrontation, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the BJP trading charges over the revision.

Late-night counting of enumeration forms on Thursday showed that 58,08,002 electors are currently marked for removal, sources said. An earlier compilation, based on the latest counting data, had placed the figure at 58 lakh, 8 thousand and 202 names. Officials describe the exercise as a large clean-up of the rolls, aimed at updating records before the next polls.

Voter list revision in West Bengal: categories of voters marked for removal

Data from Election Commission sources shows several categories of voters flagged in the West Bengal voter list. The largest group is deceased voters, followed by people not traceable at their registered address, voters who shifted homes, and electors found with fraudulent or unclear records. These names will not appear in the draft voter list revision in West Bengal once the current round is processed.

The figures shared by officials are detailed below.

Special Intensive Revision (SIR) voter list revision in West Bengal timeline

The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal started on November 4 with enumeration forms being handed out across booths. This distribution phase will run till December 11. The Election Commission plans to publish the draft voter list on December 16, giving citizens a window to check entries and submit objections or corrections.

Complaints about the draft voter list revision in West Bengal can be filed with the Election Commission after publication. Officials will then hold hearings on each case and examine the supporting documents. Following this verification process, the Commission will finalise the rolls. The final voters’ list for West Bengal is scheduled for release on February 14, 2026.

Within the total deletions from the West Bengal voter list, 24,18,699 people are recorded as deceased, according to Election Commission sources. Another 12,01,462 names fall into the “not found” category. If a Booth Level Officer visits a voter’s home at least three times and still cannot locate the person, that voter is moved to the missing list.

A separate chunk of voters in the West Bengal voter list revision relates to people who have shifted homes. Officials say 19,93,087 electors had entries at more than one address, and one of those duplicate records will be removed while the accurate one is kept. The Commission has also identified 1,37,575 voters as fraudulent, while 57,509 names fall under an “other” tag; these will also not feature in the draft rolls.

Mamata Banerjee politics over voter list revision in West Bengal SIR

Political tensions around the Special Intensive Revision in West Bengal have grown alongside the technical work on the rolls. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has repeatedly accused the Election Commission and the BJP of using the voter list revision against the ruling party. Banerjee has warned that the campaign would not be limited to the state, and has framed the issue as a national political fight.

The BJP, on the other hand, alleges that Mamata Banerjee is trying to disrupt the voter list revision in West Bengal and provoke unrest with strong statements against the SIR exercise. Banerjee recently led a large rally in Bongaon in protest against the revision last month, signalling that the controversy is likely to intensify as the Assembly polls approach.

At the Bongaon rally, Mamata Banerjee issued a direct warning over the voter list revision in West Bengal. "If you try to target and hit me (politically) in Bengal, I will shake your foundation across the country.A wounded tiger is more dangerous," she had said. With the final electoral rolls due on February 14, 2026, both the administrative process and the political dispute are set to continue side by side.