Kolkata: Ahead of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls beginning November 4 in West Bengal, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced plans to release a sepECarate list of voters whose filled enumeration forms fail to reach the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) within the stipulated time frame.
Draft Voter List to Be Released on December 9
An official confirmed that the draft voters’ list will be published on December 9.
“Before the release of the draft, the Commission will publish the names of individuals whose forms remain unsubmitted, categorising them as deceased, bogus, or relocated voters,” the official said.
The move aims to prevent confusion or allegations of wrongful exclusion of genuine voters from the electoral roll.
Political Tensions Over Revision Process
The decision follows heightened political tension in the state, with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) warning of large-scale protests if legitimate voters are excluded during the revision process.
Three-Phase Exercise
The SIR will be conducted in three phases:
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Phase 1 (from November 4): Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit households to distribute and collect voter enumeration forms. The draft list will be published after this phase.
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Phase 2: Political parties and individual voters may file objections or seek corrections to the draft list.
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Phase 3: Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) will review and resolve complaints, leading to the publication of the final electoral roll.
Completion by March 2026
The entire revision process is expected to conclude by March 2026. The last Special Intensive Revision in West Bengal was conducted in 2002, making this the first such exercise in over two decades.
