Kolkata, 08 April (H.S.) : For the first time since 2011, West Bengal has recorded a decline in the total number of registered voters following the completion of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, according to data released by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer.

After years of steady growth, the total number of voters in the state has now come down to around 67.5 million (6.75 crore) from about 76 million (7.60 crore) recorded during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Data trends show that the number of voters had consistently increased since 2011, when the Left Front’s 34-year rule ended and the Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress came to power.

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Voter Strength Over The Years

According to election data, the voter base in West Bengal grew steadily over successive elections:

2011 (Assembly elections): About 56.2 million voters

2014 (Lok Sabha elections): About 62.7 million

2016 (Assembly elections): About 65.8 million

2019 (Lok Sabha elections): About 69.8 million

2021 (Assembly elections): About 73.3 million

2024 (Lok Sabha elections): About 76 million

However, after the revision process that began in November, the number has now dropped significantly to 67.5 million.

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Earlier Allegations Of Irregularities

Political parties had earlier alleged irregularities in the voter lists, claiming that while names of new and first-time voters were being added, the removal of deceased, shifted, missing and duplicate voters was not being carried out effectively.

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Cleanup Drive Cited As Key Reason

Election analysts believe that the decline is largely due to the large-scale deletion of names belonging to deceased voters, those who had migrated, duplicate entries and suspected bogus voters during the latest revision exercise conducted under the supervision of the Election Commission of India.

Experts say the exercise has made the electoral rolls more transparent and accurate, particularly significant as the state is scheduled to go to Assembly polls in two phases later this month.

Officials maintain that periodic revision of electoral rolls is a routine democratic exercise aimed at ensuring the integrity of the voting process.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh