Kolkata: In a sweeping electoral audit, West Bengal has identified 15.53 lakh deceased voters during its ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls — one of the largest cleanup drives in recent years. So far, 6.45 lakh enumeration forms have been digitized, while 7.65 lakh forms have been distributed across districts as the process continues.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal is scheduled to review the progress in a virtual conference today with all District Election Officers, aiming to ensure accuracy of the state’s voter registry ahead of upcoming electoral cycles.
The Election Commission of India has also intervened to reinforce security for Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and field personnel after reports of intimidation and protests outside the CEO’s office earlier this week. The Commission has additionally sought a security assessment report from the Kolkata Police Commissioner regarding safety measures for the CEO and election officials.
Meanwhile, as the revision progresses, discussions around illegal migration have intensified. Reports of suspected Bangladeshi nationals returning across the West Bengal border have surfaced. The BJP has accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of obstructing the revision exercise, with opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari alleging that state machinery is being misused to tamper with voter rolls and attempting to include illegal entrants in the electoral list — a charge the TMC leadership strongly denies.
The SIR process is expected to continue over the coming weeks, with authorities emphasizing data integrity, security of personnel, and transparency in the verification process.
