Only 32.06% Of West Bengal Voters Found In 2002 Roll So Far, Says ECI

The Election Commission of India has launched the first phase of the three-stage Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal from Tuesday.

Preliminary findings from the ongoing ‘mapping and matching’ process show that only 32.06 per cent of names in the current voter list appear in the 2002 electoral roll.

The 2002 voters’ list served as the reference for the last SIR in the state. It is now being used as the foundation for the ongoing verification exercise.

Officials said the comparison of both lists is still underway.

According to data from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, “The total number of voters in West Bengal in the current voters’ list is around 7.66 crore. As per the ‘mapping and matching’ done so far, the names of less than 2.46 crore voters have been found, whose names or their parents’ names were found in the voters’ list for 2002.”

Under the ECI’s guidelines, voters whose names or their parents’ names appear in both the 2002 and current lists will be automatically recognised as valid. They will only need to submit a completed enumeration form to confirm their inclusion in the updated roll.

Those whose names are missing from the earlier list will have to provide proof of eligibility. They must submit one of the officially approved documents listed by the Election Commission.

Although the Aadhaar card is among the accepted documents, the Commission has clarified that it cannot be used alone. Voters must also produce one of eleven additional documents listed by the ECI.

The Commission has further stated that the Aadhaar card will not serve as proof of either citizenship or age.

Three-Stage Revision Process Outlined

The revision process in West Bengal will take place in three stages.

In the first stage, Booth Level Officers will visit households to collect voter details through enumeration forms. Once this step concludes, the state’s draft voter list will be released.

The second stage will allow voters and political parties to file objections or complaints about the draft list. These will be reviewed and addressed by the Election Commission.

In the final stage, Electoral Registration Officers will review all pending grievances. They will then make the necessary corrections before publishing the final voter list.

Officials expect the entire process to be wrapped up by March 2026.

West Bengal, along with three other states and one Union Territory, will likely hold significant Assembly elections next year.

Also Read: ECI Begins Second Phase Of Voter List Overhaul Across Nine States And Three UTs