Kolkata, 16 December (H.S.) :

The enumeration phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal has been completed, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer said on Tuesday. According to an official statement, the enumeration process was conducted from November 4, 2025 to December 11, 2025, with a strong emphasis on transparency and inclusive voter participation.

Out of a total of 76,637,529 registered voters in the state, 70,816,630 voters had submitted their enumeration forms as of December 16, 2025. This accounts for 92.40 percent of the electorate and is being described by officials as a major success of the first phase of the Special Intensive Revision.

The process saw the active involvement of district election officers across 24 districts, 294 electoral registration officers, 3,059 assistant electoral registration officers and booth level officers deployed at 80,681 polling stations. Representatives of all eight recognised political parties in the state and around 1,814,54 booth level agents also extended cooperation during the exercise.

The press note clarified that voters whose forms were not received include those who have enrolled as voters in other states or union territories, those found to be non-existent, those who failed to submit forms by December 11, 2025, or those who chose not to continue as registered voters. However, to ensure that no genuine and eligible voter is left out, the Election Commission has kept the claims and objections window open from December 16, 2025 to January 15, 2026.

According to the data released, 24.16 lakh voters were found to be deceased, 32.65 lakh voters were identified as shifted or absent, and 1.38 lakh voters were found to have their names registered at more than one location. As per rules, a voter’s name will be retained at only one place in such cases.

The Chief Electoral Officer’s office said the draft electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision were published on December 16, 2025. The claims and objections process will continue until January 15, 2026, while hearings and verification will be carried out up to February 7, 2026. The final electoral rolls are scheduled to be published on February 14, 2026.

Voters whose names do not appear in the draft list can apply afresh following the prescribed procedure. Special focus is also being placed on young voters. Those who will attain the age of 18 years by January 1, 2026 are being encouraged to apply for inclusion in the rolls. So far, 324,800 applications from new voters have been received, which will be added after due verification.

The Election Commission reiterated that no name will be deleted from the draft electoral rolls without issuing a notice and passing a written order. Voters also have the right to appeal in case of objections. The Commission emphasised that the entire exercise is participatory, transparent and impartial, aimed at ensuring that no eligible voter is excluded and no ineligible name remains on the electoral roll.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh