Illegal Migrants Fleeing Bengal After Voter Roll Review: Governor Bose
West Bengal Governor says SIR voter review prompting outflow of illegal Bangladeshi migrants.
West Bengal Governor C.V. Anand Bose on Wednesday stated that the Special Intensive Review (SIR) process has resulted in a noticeable outflow of illegal Bangladeshi migrants from the state. Speaking to IANS, he said the initiative is set to “cleanse” the electoral system ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, ensuring a more transparent voter list.
Governor Bose noted that infiltration has been a reality in Bengal, which the SIR process has brought to the forefront. “There is also an outflow of illegal migrants from Bengal through the border to Bangladesh. This will bring about a change and cleanse the system to a great extent,” he said.
The SIR exercise, which ran from December 4 to December 11, flagged over 58 lakh voter names for removal from the electoral rolls. The draft voter list identifies deceased electors, those who have migrated, missing voters, duplicates, and bogus entries, along with a few other cases pending verification.
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According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), the flagged entries include 24.16 lakh deceased voters, 19.88 lakh who have moved permanently, 12.2 lakh missing voters, 1.38 lakh duplicate or false entries, and 57,604 others. The process reflects stringent measures taken to ensure the integrity of the voter database.
The second phase of the three-part SIR exercise is set to continue until February 2026, with the final voter list scheduled for publication on February 14, 2026. Governor Bose added that while illegal infiltration may not be completely eliminated, the chances of such entries influencing elections have substantially decreased.
The SIR process has also put significant pressure on booth-level officers (BLOs) due to tight deadlines and rigorous verification, but it underscores the state’s effort to maintain clean electoral rolls ahead of the polls, marking a major step in curbing illegal voter influence.
