Kolkata: In a sweeping electoral shake-up ahead of the Assembly polls, nearly 91 lakh voters have been removed from West Bengal’s electoral rolls under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), triggering political uproar and legal scrutiny.
According to reports, the deletions include over 63 lakh names struck off earlier, along with around 27 lakh voters removed from nearly 60 lakh cases examined during adjudication—making it one of the most extensive revisions in recent electoral history.
ECI cleans West Bengal rolls: ~91 lakh names deleted via SIR (duplicates, deceased, shifted, ineligible). Voter base shrinks ahead of 2026 polls. Transparency wins!#BhagodaPawanKhera pic.twitter.com/LCItVyDLk7
— Sachin Singh (@CerebrumPeak) April 7, 2026
The impact has been particularly stark in Murshidabad, a Muslim-majority district, where nearly 4.5 lakh names were deleted out of roughly 11 lakh cases reviewed—topping the list of affected regions.
The Election Commission of India has now frozen the voter list, effectively barring any further additions or deletions until the completion of the elections.
Appeals Allowed, But Not Before Polls
While the Supreme Court of India had earlier directed the formation of appellate tribunals for voters to challenge deletions, timelines appear tight. With polling scheduled in phases beginning April 23, most appeals are unlikely to be resolved before voting concludes.
In its latest observations, the apex court ruled out interim restoration of names, making it clear that voters who failed verification cannot be re-added provisionally. Justice Joymalya Bagchi noted that the appeals process is detailed and cannot rely solely on past electoral records such as the 2002 voter list.
Political Stakes Rise
West Bengal is among five states undergoing this large-scale revision—the first of its kind since 2002. The deletion of such a significant number of voters is expected to reshape electoral arithmetic, forcing political parties to recalibrate their strategies just days before polling.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has strongly opposed the exercise, alleging it disproportionately benefits the Bharatiya Janata Party. Addressing a public rally, she claimed that her intervention in court helped reinstate some names earlier flagged for deletion.
“I approached the Supreme Court and managed to restore some of your names. I assure all affected voters that we will help them appeal,” Banerjee said, pledging support to those excluded.
As the state heads into a high-stakes election, the unprecedented scale of voter deletions has added a new layer of tension to an already charged political landscape.
