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Bengal Voter Purge: 61 Lakh Names Deleted, 60 Lakh Under Scrutiny

The final voters' list for West Bengal, published after a Special Intensive Revision, shows 61.78 lakh voters have been deleted, reducing the total approved electorate to 7.04 crore. Around 60 lakh more voters remain under judicial adjudication by ECI-appointed officers, with a supplementary list to follow. Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal acknowledged minor errors in the massive exercise but stated corrective action was taken. Political parties, including the ruling Trinamool Congress, have raised concerns over alleged procedural flaws in the voter list revision process.

Key Points: West Bengal Voter List: Over 61 Lakh Deleted in SIR

  • 61.78 lakh voters deleted
  • 60 lakh names under judicial review
  • Final approved voters at 7.04 crore
  • Supplementary list pending adjudication
2 min read

Bengal SIR: Over 61 lakh voters deleted; scrutiny of 60 lakh names continues

Final Bengal voter list shows 61.78 lakh deletions, with 60 lakh names under judicial adjudication. CEO admits minor errors in massive revision exercise.

"This means that a total of 61,78,245 voters have already been deleted in the process - Manoj Kumar Agarwal"

Kolkata, Feb 28

The final voters' list in West Bengal, prepared as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision, was published on Saturday, with the total number of deleted voters standing at 61,78,245.

The figure is likely to increase further, as identity documents of around 60 lakh voters are currently under judicial adjudication by judicial officers appointed by the Election Commission of India (ECI), following directions of the Supreme Court.

Announcing this at a press conference on Saturday afternoon, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, said the total number of "approved" voters in the final list stands at 7,04,59,284.

"When the SIR began in November last year, the total number of voters was 7,66,37,529. The number was reduced to 7,08,16,630. Now, in the final voters' list, the total number of 'approved' voters stands at 7,04,59,284. This means that a total of 61,78,245 voters have already been deleted in the process," Agarwal said.

The CEO added that if anyone has any objection regarding deletion of a name, the concerned voter may first apply to the respective District Electoral Officer (DEO) and subsequently to the CEO. "The application in this regard will have to be made within the next 14 days as per the rules," Agarwal said.

Several political parties in West Bengal, especially the ruling Trinamool Congress, have raised questions over alleged procedural flaws in the SIR exercise. On Saturday, while detailing the final voters' list, the CEO admitted that there had been some errors during the process.

"However, these mistakes are minor considering the enormity of the exercise. Wherever there was a mistake, the ECI has taken action," Agarwal said.

He said that despite publication of the final voters' list, judicial adjudication of voter documents referred to ECI-appointed judicial officers will continue. "Currently, a total of 501 judicial officers are engaged in the adjudication process. A supplementary list will be published in due course depending on the progress of the judicial adjudication," the CEO said.

The final voters' list published on Saturday comprises three categories -- "approved", "under adjudication" and "deleted".

The list can be accessed on the official websites of the ECI and the CEO, West Bengal. It can also be verified offline by contacting the booth-level officer (BLO) concerned or by visiting the respective polling station, where hard copies of the list have been displayed.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Over 60 lakh names deleted and another 60 lakh under scrutiny? This is concerning. While cleaning the list is important, we must ensure genuine voters, especially in rural areas, are not disenfranchised due to paperwork issues. The 14-day window to appeal is too short! 🤔
A
Aman W
Finally! A proper revision was long overdue in Bengal. The high number of deletions indicates how bloated the voter list had become. The involvement of the Supreme Court and judicial officers adds credibility. Hope this leads to cleaner elections.
S
Sarah B
As an observer, the scale is impressive but the admission of "errors" by the CEO is worrying. "Minor mistakes" for the commission can mean a lost vote for a citizen. The process must be flawless. The supplementary list must be published well before any election.
K
Karthik V
My relative's name was deleted in error! We are applying to the DEO now. The offline verification at the polling station is a good step for those without internet. But the authorities need to widely advertise this 14-day appeal process on TV and radio.
M
Meera T
Political parties will always complain, but a clean voter list is the foundation of democracy. The fact that 501 judicial officers are still working on it shows the ECIs commitment. Let's focus on checking our own names first instead of political blame games.

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