KOLKATA: Ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has conducted a massive cleanup of the state’s electoral rolls. Following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR), approximately 91 lakh voters have been removed from the list, sparking significant concerns regarding potential voter disenfranchisement.
Official data reveals that the large-scale revision resulted in the deletion of 91 lakh names in total. This figure includes 63 lakh names removed in earlier phases along with an additional 27 lakh voters declared ineligible following judicial adjudication. The ECI stated that the primary objective of this exercise was to ensure an accurate database by eliminating duplicate entries, deceased voters, and those who have shifted or were found ineligible.
The highest number of deletions were recorded in districts such as Murshidabad, North 24 Parganas, Malda, Nadia, and South 24 Parganas. In the capital city of Kolkata alone, nearly 7 lakh voters were struck off across various constituencies, leading to a notable decline in the electorate in both the northern and southern segments of the city.
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has raised strong objections, alleging that the revision has disproportionately targeted minorities, migrants, and economically weaker sections, thereby stripping legitimate citizens of their right to vote. Conversely, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has defended the move, asserting that the cleanup was a necessary step to remove bogus entries and illegal residents from the electoral rolls ahead of the upcoming polls.
With input from News On Air.
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