Bengal Draft Rolls See Deletion of 58 Lakh Voters, About 8% of Electorate

Barely hours before the publication of the draft electoral rolls for West Bengal, where Assembly elections are due early next year, the Election Commission on Tuesday morning released on its website the list of voters whose names have been deleted under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise for 2026.

The deletions amount to over 58 lakh voters , representing nearly 8% of the state’s electorate , a scale that has drawn attention ahead of the polls. The list includes electors who were part of the 2025 electoral rolls but have been removed from the draft rolls for 2026. It is available on the Chief Electoral Officer’s portal at ceowestbengal.wb.gov.in/asd_sir.

According to official data, West Bengal had approximately 7.66 crore registered voters in the 2025 electoral rolls. Following the SIR exercise, the draft rolls for 2026 now list around 7.08 crore voters , reflecting a net deletion of about 58.2 lakh names , or roughly 7.6% of the electorate .

Election Commission sources said the deletions were based on “uncollectable SIR enumeration forms” and carried out on grounds such as voters being absent from their registered addresses, having permanently shifted, being deceased, or being identified as duplicate voters enrolled in more than one constituency.

The scale of deletions is significant when viewed against recent electoral participation. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections , West Bengal had about 7.6 crore registered electors , of whom approximately 6.04 crore votes were cast , translating into a voter turnout of nearly 80% .

Election officials said the early release of the deleted voters’ list was intended to enhance transparency and give affected electors adequate time to verify their status and seek correction before the rolls are finalised.

“Aggrieved persons can submit their claims in Form 6 along with the Declaration Form and supporting documents after publication of the draft roll during the period fixed for receiving claims and objections, from December 16, 2025, to January 15, 2026,” the Commission’s website said.

After the disposal of all claims and objections, the final electoral rolls will be published and will form the basis for voting in the upcoming election.

Elections to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly are scheduled to be held early next year.