WB CEO seeks one-week extension for SIR deadline on electoral rolls
WB CEO seeks one-week extension for SIR deadline on electoral rolls
West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer asks for a seven-day extension to finish the Special Intensive Revision, with final rolls possible by February 21 if approved.
West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer has requested a one-week extension from the Election Commission of India to finish the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The move comes as about 5% of hearings remain pending after the original deadline expired on February 7, 2026. In a recommendation sent to the ECI on Saturday, CEO Manoj Kumar Agarwal said the extra time would help complete hearings, upload documents, process forms 6, 7 and 8, and digitise all records. If the extension is granted, the revised deadline for completing the groundwork would be February 14, and the final rolls could be published by February 21.
Officials note that hearings are pending in about 11 of the state’s 294 Assembly constituencies. They say that roughly 95-97% of hearings have already been completed and over 75% of digitisation work is done. The recommendation cites requests from District Electoral Officers for more time as justification for the extension.
The CEO’s office also highlighted the ongoing work across key districts, including one constituency in north Kolkata, seven in south Kolkata, as well as Darjeeling and Howrah, with a few other constituencies still awaiting hearings. As of Saturday evening, there had been no formal confirmation from the Commission on the extension, leaving the final schedule contingent on ECI approval.
If approved, the extension would delay the publication timeline by a few days but would allow authorities to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the rolls ahead of the elections.
