SIR Hearings End in West Bengal; 661k Names Likely Deleted Ahead of Polls
SIR Hearings End in West Bengal; 661k Names Likely Deleted Ahead of Polls
West Bengal's SIR process wraps up with potential deletions nearing 661,000 names as final rolls near publication ahead of April elections.
Officials note that these probable deletions come in addition to the 5.8 million names already removed from the draft roll. A senior official said the number is likely to rise further as verification of around 5 million voter documents is still underway. The final electoral roll is scheduled to be published on February 28, with the April polls on the horizon. Voters who did not find their names in the draft roll can still file in Form 6, while those whose names appeared in the draft but not in the final roll can appeal first to the District Election Officer and then to the Chief Electoral Officer. The SIR exercise, which began on November 4, 2025, has sparked a political slugfest and judicial attention, with the ruling party accusing the Election Commission of overreach and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee taking their grievances to Delhi and writing multiple letters to the Chief Election Commissioner. Earlier this month, Banerjee became the first sitting chief minister to personally argue her petition before the Supreme Court, underscoring the high-stakes nature of the revision. As the process moves toward the publication of the final roll, officials emphasize that remedies remain available to voters whose names are affected, aiming to balance accuracy with inclusive participation.
