Over 63 lakh voter names deleted in Bengal revision; 20 lakh cases still pending

A large-scale revision of the voter list in West Bengal has led to the deletion of more than 63 lakh names, with nearly 20 lakh cases still under consideration ahead of the Assembly elections. The exercise, being carried out under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), is one of the most extensive clean-up drives of electoral rolls in the state.

According to Election Commission data, out of approximately 60 lakh pending cases, around 42 lakh had been resolved by Sunday night. So far, nearly 18 lakh names have been removed during this phase, while the remaining cases are under scrutiny. The Commission has stated that all pending cases will be addressed before the April 6 deadline for filing nominations for the first phase of polling.

The Commission has also released its fourth supplementary voter list, taking the total number of lists published so far to five, including the final list. Around 200,000 new voters have been added in the latest supplementary list. However, clarity is still awaited on how many pending names have been conclusively removed, with estimates suggesting that around 40 to 45 percent of such cases have been deleted.

Overall, combining both the draft and final lists, a total of 6,366,952 voter names have been removed during the revision process. Earlier, the draft list had already seen over 58 lakh deletions, followed by an additional 546,053 removals in the final list published on February 28.

The process is being conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Court, with 705 judicial officers, including those from outside the state, assigned to review cases. The phased publication of revised lists is aimed at ensuring transparency and accuracy, as authorities work to finalise the electoral rolls before the upcoming elections.