Voter List Revision Removes Fifty Eight Lakh Names In West Bengal

Over 58 lakh names have been marked for deletion in West Bengal’s draft voter list following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the State due to death, relocation, duplication, missing, and other reasons. The scale of the revision has invited comparisons with Bihar, where a similar SIR earlier this year saw around 65 lakh names excluded from draft rolls, triggering widespread political backlash.

According to the data released by the Election Commission of India (ECI), a total of 58,20,898 names have been identified for deletion, which include around 24,16,852 electors identified as dead. This is followed by 19,88,076 voters, who have either shifted permanently or migrated. Additionally, 12,20,038 voters have been marked as missing, while 1,38,328 names have been identified as duplicate, false or bogus entries. Another 57,604 names have been proposed for deletion due to “other reasons”.

However, those excluded can submit their claims in Form 6 along with supporting documents.

The highest number of deletions among the state’s 294 assembly constituencies was recorded in north Kolkata’s Chowringhee, represented by TMC MLA Nayana Bandyopadhyay, where 74,553 names were struck off. Kolkata Port, held by senior minister and city Mayor Firhad Hakim, saw 63,730 deletions, while Tollygunge, represented by minister Aroop Biswas, recorded 35,309 removals.

The ECI stressed that deletion from the draft roll does not mark the end of the road for affected voters. “Aggrieved persons can submit their claims in Form 6 along with the declaration form and supporting documents after publication of Draft Roll 2026 during the period fixed for receiving claims and objections,” the EC said - the period is until January 15, 2026, after which the final rolls will be published.

Bhabanipur recorded 44,787 deletions from 2,06,295 voters listed in January 2025 — nearly four times the removals seen in Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari’s Nandigram, which logged 10,599 deletions from 2,78,212 voters.