The Matua community in West Bengal is expressing anxiety over potential citizenship loss as the Election Commission of India (ECI) prepares to publish the final post-Special Intensive Revision (SIR) electoral rolls for the state on Saturday afternoon. The announcement concludes a three-month-long process marked by political disputes, street protests, and legal challenges.
The Matua community, concentrated in North 24 Parganas, Nadia, East Bardhaman, and Jalpaiguri districts, fears that a significant number of its members may see their names deleted from the final rolls. In Bongaon Lok Sabha constituency, many voters who supported local BJP MP and Union Minister of State for Shipping Santanu Thakur during the 2024 general elections met with ruling party Rajya Sabha MP Mamatabala Thakur to voice their concerns about losing citizenship if their entries are removed.
According to sources in the office of the District Electoral Officer (DEO) of North 24 Parganas, around 2 lakh voters — largely Matuas — were summoned by the ECI for SIR hearings to address logical discrepancies or unmapped categories. Approximately 1.25 lakh of these voters belong to the Matua community, with around 65,000 attending hearings in the Bongaon area. Authorities have indicated that names of voters from four to five assembly constituencies under Bongaon may be deleted.
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The final electoral rolls will include 7.08 crore voters who appeared in the pre-SIR draft rolls released on December 16, 2025. The list will classify voters as “deleted,” “under adjudication,” or “approved.” The “deleted” category covers those who failed to attend hearings or provide required documentation. Over 58 lakh entries of absent, deceased, shifted, or duplicate voters were removed from the 2025 list of 7.66 crore voters during the cleansing process.
Voters can verify their status online through voters.eci.gov.in, ceowestbengal.wb.gov.in, or the ECINET app using their EPIC numbers and names. Offline verification is available at Block Development Officer (BDO), Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO), and DEO offices. The “under adjudication” category, encompassing nearly 60 lakh voters, will be decided by judicial officers following the Supreme Court’s intervention. Those cleared for inclusion will be part of the “approved” category, alongside 5.57 crore voters who were not called for hearings.
Political parties will receive soft copies of the final rolls, which are expected to play a critical role in shaping the state’s electoral landscape ahead of upcoming elections. The publication of the final rolls marks the end of an intensive process designed to ensure the accuracy and legitimacy of voter registration across West Bengal.
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