Nearly 90 lakh voters have been removed from the electoral roll in India’s West Bengal state, triggering political controversy ahead of the upcoming state election later this month.
According to officials, the large-scale revision was carried out under a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process aimed at updating and cleaning the voter database. The deletions account for roughly 12 per cent of the state’s total 7,60,00000 registered voters, reports BBC.
Authorities said more than 60 lakh names were struck off after being identified as deceased or no longer present at registered addresses. Another 27 lakh voters remain under verification, with their eligibility to be determined through further review by designated tribunals.
The Election Commission of India has defended the exercise, saying it is necessary to eliminate duplicate, outdated and incorrect entries to ensure a more accurate voter list. However, the move has sparked criticism and legal challenges, similar to disputes raised during an earlier revision exercise in Bihar.
The controversy has become particularly heated in West Bengal, where the ruling Trinamool Congress has clashed with the Election Commission over the process.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said the goal is to ensure that no eligible voter is left out while removing ineligible entries.
Political tensions have further escalated following remarks by leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said the revision would help identify “illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators.” The Trinamool Congress has strongly rejected the statement, alleging that the process disproportionately affects Muslim voters, though officials maintain that deletions are based on verification criteria and include people from different communities.
West Bengal, which shares a long and porous border with Bangladesh, has historically seen migration-related issues become politically sensitive during election periods.
The state has been governed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress since 2011, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) serving as its main opposition.
While the Election Commission insists the revision is part of routine electoral cleaning, opposition parties argue it could influence the outcome of the upcoming polls. The matter has reached the judiciary multiple times, with the Supreme Court allowing elections to proceed despite ongoing disputes, leaving the status of millions of voters unresolved.
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