SIR in West Bengal: Dead voters, allegations of fraud, and heightened security

The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal has flagged approximately 15.53 lakh dead voters, according to officials. As part of the drive, over 6.45 lakh enumeration forms have been digitised and 7.65 lakh forms distributed, with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, scheduled to chair a virtual review meeting today with all District Election Officers.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has instructed the West Bengal Director General of Police to ensure the safety and security of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and other personnel involved in the exercise. The move follows protests by BLOs outside the CEO’s office in Kolkata earlier this week, prompting the EC to seek a report from the Kolkata Police Commissioner on the security of the CEO and officials at the office.

The SIR process, involving house-to-house verification by over 80,000 BLOs, aims to update and cleanse the voter list ahead of upcoming elections. So far, besides dead voters, nearly 8.9 lakh entries have been classified as permanently shifted, 58,164 as duplicates, and 2.6 lakh as untraceable, bringing the total flagged for review close to 27.7 lakh forms.

Officials stated that digitisation of enumeration forms has progressed significantly, with over 6.6 crore forms processed. The preliminary revised voter list is expected to be published by December 9, 2025, with the final list slated for February 7, 2026, following a window for citizen objections and verification.

The SIR exercise has triggered political tension. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of attempting to manipulate the voter list by including illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. BJP state leader Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the Election Commission’s dependence on the state machinery is being exploited, calling for stricter scrutiny of domicile certificates issued after July 25, 2025.

TMC, on the other hand, criticised the SIR process as “chaotic and stressful,” highlighting risks to elderly and vulnerable voters. Both parties have lodged complaints regarding deletions and inclusions, intensifying the scrutiny of the exercise.

In response to these controversies, the EC has dep loyed 11 Special Roll Observers, including senior civil servants, to monitor the SIR across all 23 districts of West Bengal. Additionally, security measures have been heightened to protect electoral staff, particularly after reports of protests and alleged intimidation at the CEO’s office.

The SIR, carried out after over two decades, is critical in ensuring the integrity of the electoral process in West Bengal. If completed successfully, it could remove millions of ineligible voters, significantly impacting the state’s electoral landscape. However, allegations of political interference, fraudulent entries, and illegal migration have made the process highly sensitive, drawing nationwide attention.

The Election Commission has emphasised transparency and proper verification, while state authorities continue to work on digitisation, distribution, and collection of forms to complete the SIR exercise within the stipulated timelines.