West Bengal SIR 2026: 13 Lakh Voters Deleted in First List?
KOLKATA — The Election Commission of India (ECI) has officially released the first supplementary voters’ list for West Bengal, marking a critical milestone in the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The publication, which went live late Monday night, confirms that nearly 13 lakh names have been struck off from the 32 lakh cases adjudicated so far.
West Bengal SIR 2026
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The Adjudication Crisis: 40% Deletion Rate Confirmed
According to recent data, this reflects a staggering 40% deletion rate among the “under adjudication” category. This high percentage of removals is raising significant concerns among the electorate just weeks before the state goes to the polls on April 23 and 29. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal noted that while approximately 29 lakh cases have been resolved by judicial officers, the first supplementary list only features around 10 lakh names that were successfully cleared for inclusion.
The Status of 9 Lakh “Missing” Voters
One of the most pressing questions following the SIR update is the fate of the remaining 9 lakh voters whose cases were processed but did not appear in the first list. The ECI has yet to issue an official press release regarding their specific standing, leading to visible anxiety among the public. If the current deletion trend persists through the second supplementary list—scheduled for release this Friday—the total number of deletions across West Bengal could exceed 87 lakh.
Regional Impact: Murshidabad and Malda Worst Hit
The geographic spread of the SIR deletions shows that border districts are facing the heaviest impact. Districts like Murshidabad (11 lakh cases), Malda (8.28 lakh), and North 24 Parganas (5.9 lakh) remain the most affected. These areas have seen the highest concentration of “logical discrepancies,” leading to a massive backlog of cases for the 705 judicial officers assigned to the revision.
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Legal Recourse: 19 Appeal Tribunals Formed
In response to the massive exclusions, the ECI has constituted 19 appeal tribunals across 23 districts, staffed by former High Court judges. Voters whose names are missing from the supplementary lists or who remain in the “under adjudication” category are encouraged to appeal immediately through the ECINET app. The High Court continues to monitor the process to ensure that no legitimate citizen is disenfranchised before the first phase of polling.
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