The Election Commission of India (ECI) has projected that more than ten lakh names could be deleted from West Bengal’s electoral rolls as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, marking one of the largest voter list overhauls in recent years. Officials say this extensive cleanup aims to eliminate deceased voters, duplicate entries, and those who have permanently relocated out of the state.

According to a senior official in the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office in Kolkata, the estimate stems from a detailed review of enumeration forms collected by booth-level officers (BLOs) and uploaded into the BLO App, the digital platform driving the revision process. “The largest share — nearly 6.5 lakh — will likely be deletions of voters who are no longer alive,” the official noted, describing the exercise as both extensive and essential to maintaining electoral integrity.

The updated figures will be confirmed after all forms are verified and processed, following which the draft rolls are scheduled to be published on December 9. The ECI has urged citizens to cooperate with the enumeration process to avoid being inadvertently removed from the list. West Bengal CEO Manoj Kumar Agarwal appealed to residents on Monday to promptly submit their filled enumeration forms, reminding them that December 4 is the final, non-extendable deadline. “Failure to submit will result in automatic deletion from the voters’ list,” Agarwal warned.

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Amid this administrative push, tragedy has cast a shadow over the revision work. Reports confirm that three booth-level officers have died in the line of duty, allegedly due to the intense workload associated with the ongoing exercise. Agarwal said the ECI has sought detailed reports from the district magistrates, who also serve as district electoral officers, to understand the circumstances surrounding these incidents.

Acknowledging the efforts of field officials, Agarwal paid tribute to the BLOs driving the massive operation. “In this entire revision exercise, the BLOs are the true heroes,” he said, lauding their door-to-door efforts in keeping the democratic machinery connected. As the state moves toward the final publication of revised rolls, the SIR’s outcome will play a crucial role in shaping West Bengal’s electoral readiness for 2026 and beyond.

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