Nearly 13 lakh names removed from SIR supplementary list, says EC sources

Sources from the Chief Electoral Officer's (CEO) office, approximately 13 lakh names have been removed from the voter rolls in this initial phase. This data comes after the processing of 32 lakh cases, out of which only 10 lakh names were successfully integrated into the final electoral roll. The fate of the remaining 9,00,000 cases remains shrouded in uncertainty as officials continue their review.

This first supplementary list was released late Monday night, nearly 22 days after the final electoral roll was initially published on February 28. In that original final list, over 6.3 million names had been deleted, while approximately 6 million names were categorized as "under adjudication." The current surge in deletions highlights the intense scrutiny being applied by the Election Commission to the state's voter database ahead of the high-stakes Assembly elections scheduled for April.

Adding to the tension, sources indicate that a second supplementary list is expected to be released this coming Friday. The absence of an official press note from the Election Commission has fueled speculation and anxiety among political parties and the general public alike. Without a formal clarification on the exact number of additions versus deletions, both the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP are closely monitoring the CEO’s portal for further updates that could sway the demographic balance of key constituencies.