Third supplementary roll out ahead of Bengal polls, numbers still undisclosed

The Election Commission of India on Saturday released the third supplementary voter list under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls for 2026 , even as questions persist over transparency in the updating process.

The poll body, however, did not disclose the exact number of inclusions or deletions in the latest list. This follows the publication of the second supplementary list on Friday night and the first list of ‘Under Adjudication’ voters on March 23 , for which detailed figures were also not made public, drawing criticism from several quarters.

According to officials, a supplementary list includes newly enrolled voters, corrected entries, and names restored after verification, while separate deletion lists account for removals due to death, migration, duplication, or untraceability.

Data from the SIR exercise indicates that around 58 lakh voters were deleted during the enumeration phase , reducing the electorate from 7.66 crore to 7.08 crore . Following the publication of the post-SIR rolls on February 28 , the total number of valid voters further dropped to just over 7.04 crore , with more than 60 lakh names placed under judicial scrutiny.

Sources in the Commission said that around 10 lakh names were included in the first supplementary list , while approximately 21 lakh voters were added in the second list . However, figures for the third list remain undisclosed .

Officials maintained that the phased release of supplementary lists is aimed at ensuring that all eligible voters are included while maintaining the accuracy of electoral rolls. An EC official added that, “as directed by the court, supplementary lists will now be published regularly.”

Meanwhile, booth-wise electoral rolls were uploaded on the ECI website late in the night, around 11:30 pm .

The revision exercise comes ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections , scheduled for April 23 and 29 , with counting on May 4 .