63.66 lakh names deleted, 60 lakh under adjudication in post-SIR electoral rolls in Bengal
Kolkata (PTI): Around 63.66 lakh names, nearly 8.3 per cent of the electorate, have been deleted in West Bengal since the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) began in November last year, bringing down the total number of voters in the state to over 7.04 crore ahead of the assembly elections due in April, EC officials said.
The post-SIR rolls, released on Saturday after a 116-day exercise, also show that over 60 lakh electors have been placed in the "under adjudication" category, with their fate to be decided by judicial officers in the coming weeks, a process that could further recalibrate constituency-level equations.
The draft rolls, published on December 16, had already pared down the electorate from 7.66 crore to 7.08 crore, deleting over 58 lakh names on grounds of death, migration, duplication and untraceability. Following hearings, scrutiny and disposal of claims and objections, another 5,46,053 deletions were recorded through Form-7 applications, taking the total SIR-linked omissions to around 63.66 lakh.
More than 1.82 lakh electors were added through Form-6 and Form-6A submissions, partially offsetting the deletions. Officials said the figures could still witness marginal changes as fresh inclusions and objections continue to be processed.
Earlier in the day, a senior official of the Chief Electoral Officer's office told PTI that the EC was likely to delete nearly eight lakh names over and above the 58 lakh removed in the draft rolls, taking the total SIR-linked deletions in the state to around 66 lakh.
He had also said that the figures following the post-SIR publication may not be definitive, as further inclusions through Form-6 applications and fresh deletions based on Form-7 objections could alter the overall numbers.
Significantly, around 60.06 lakh voters have been placed in the "under adjudication" category, largely due to what officials described as "logical discrepancies" in their enumeration forms. These names have been retained in the rolls pending adjudication.
Over 58 lakh enumeration forms were not received during the exercise, including cases involving deceased, shifted and duplicate electors, officials said. Of the 7.08 crore names that appeared in the draft rolls, around 6.4 crore have been marked as "approved" so far.
The Election Commission maintained that the SIR -- the first intensive statewide revision since 2002 -- was a statutory clean-up exercise aimed at ensuring a "pure and error-free" roll ahead of a major election.
Beyond aggregate figures, district and constituency-level data underline the scale of the shake-up.
In Bhabanipur constituency, represented by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, 47,094 names have been struck off -- 44,786 at the draft stage and another 2,324 in the final publication -- while over 14,000 electors have been kept under adjudication.
The total deletions in the constituency are roughly 11,000 fewer than Banerjee's victory margin of over 58,000 votes in the 2021 bypoll.
Nadia district, bordering Bangladesh and often central to debates over migration and citizenship, witnessed around 2.73 lakh deletions. The electorate declined from 44.18 lakh at the start of the SIR to 41.45 lakh in the final rolls.
Bankura saw a net reduction of about 1.18 lakh names. From 30,33,830 voters in November, the draft rolls showed 29,01,009. After further scrutiny, the final figure stands at around 29.15 lakh.
North Kolkata, comprising seven assembly constituencies currently held by the TMC, recorded around 4.07 lakh deletions during the SIR, including 3.9 lakh at the draft stage and another 17,000 in the final list.
Alipurduar registered 1,02,835 deletions, with 11,96,651 names featuring in the final rolls.
In Hooghly, the electorate dipped from 47,75,099 at the beginning of the process to 44,40,293 now, reflecting a total deletion of 3,34,806 names, while 1,73,064 voters remain under adjudication. The draft rolls had pegged the district's electorate at 44,56,224.
The scale of deletions and the unusually large pool of voters under adjudication have turned the SIR into a political flashpoint in a state headed for another polarised contest.
The TMC alleged that "harassment in the name of SIR" had reached extreme levels and warned of political and legal agitation if valid voters were struck off.
The party accused the BJP of attempting to secure electoral gains through deletions, a charge the saffron camp rejected.
The BJP maintained that parties must contest elections on the basis of the finalised rolls, and political outfits should not question a statutory revision exercise.
Yet, beyond rhetoric lies the arithmetic of Bengal's tightly fought contests. In the 2021 assembly elections, several seats were decided by margins of a few thousand votes.
In border districts such as Nadia and North 24 Parganas, and in tribal and urban belts, demographic shifts and migration patterns have historically influenced booth-level outcomes.
A swing of even 2,000-3,000 voters in a closely fought constituency can alter the result.
Political parties have intensified booth-level scrutiny, with cadres poring over printed rolls, cross-checking names and preparing appeals.
For the TMC, which swept north Kolkata in the last assembly election, the 4 lakh-plus deletions in the zone are being assessed against urban turnout patterns and organisational depth.
For the BJP, which has made gains in border and tribal belts in recent years, the adjudication of over 60 lakh pending cases could reshape equations in several districts.
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Annamalai left out of BJP’s candidate list for Tamil Nadu polls, party cites High Command decision
Chennai/New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party has released its list of 27 candidates for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, triggering political discussion after the absence of former state president K Annamalai from the roster.
Despite being widely seen as the party’s most prominent face in the state and a key figure in its southern expansion strategy, Annamalai was not fielded in the list. Senior leaders, including Tamilisai Soundararajan from Mylapore, Vanathi Srinivasan from Coimbatore North, and Union Minister L. Murugan from Avinashi, have been nominated.
Responding to questions on the omission, Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran said the decision was taken by the party’s central leadership. He expressed confidence that all 27 candidates would emerge victorious in the polls.
Annamalai, a former IPS officer who joined the BJP in 2020 and rapidly rose to prominence, had earlier been replaced as state chief by Nagendran. Known for his aggressive political style and grassroots outreach, he has been instrumental in amplifying the party’s presence in Tamil Nadu, a state traditionally dominated by Dravidian parties.
In a message posted on X, Annamalai congratulated the candidates and reaffirmed his commitment to the party. He said he would campaign actively for BJP and NDA nominees, expressing confidence in the alliance securing a decisive mandate. He also criticised the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government, calling it ineffective and self-serving.
The BJP is contesting the elections as part of the National Democratic Alliance led by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Seat-sharing arrangements allocate 169 constituencies to the AIADMK, 27 to the BJP, 18 to the Pattali Makkal Katchi, 11 to the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, five to the Tamil Maanila Congress, and one seat each to the Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi and Puratchi Bharatham.
Tamil Nadu will vote in a single phase on April 23 across all 234 constituencies, with counting scheduled for May 4. The primary contest is expected between the DMK-led alliance and the AIADMK-led NDA, although actor-turned-politician Vijay is also positioning himself as a potential challenger, raising the possibility of a multi-cornered contest.
#WATCH | Chennai | Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagendran says, "A list of 27 candidates has been released by the BJP High Command... All the 27 candidates will surely win this time..."
— ANI (@ANI) April 3, 2026
On Annamalai's name not appearing in the recently released list, he says, "This is a… https://t.co/pDd0HodSAW pic.twitter.com/29gkGK9AaP
