Kolkata, December 13: After triggering sharp political controversy in Bihar the Special Intensive Review (SIR) of electoral rolls has now unsettled the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal with the party fearing large scale deletion of its traditional voters ahead of the crucial Assembly elections due in early 2026.
The concerns are rooted in recent electoral experience. In Bihar the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which had secured 75 seats in the 2020 Assembly elections was reduced to just 25 seats in the 2025 polls. The party had alleged that more than 45 lakh voters largely from underprivileged communities forming its core support base were removed from the electoral rolls during the revision process. The TMC fears a similar outcome if mass deletions take place in West Bengal.
According to the latest enumeration data around 58.08 lakh names are set to be removed from the West Bengal voters list before the Assembly elections. Election Commission sources indicate that 24,18,699 voters are marked as deceased while 12,01,462 could not be traced despite repeated verification. As per Election Commission of India (ECI) guidelines, a voter is placed on the missing list if a Booth Level Officer (BLO) visits the registered address three times without success.
In addition, nearly 19,93,087 voters have reportedly shifted their residence, 1,37,575 names have been identified as fraudulent and 57,509 voters fall under other categories slated for deletion.
The ECI said that West Bengal had 7,60,10,006 registered voters during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. If the current estimates hold about 7.5 per cent of the electorate could be excluded following the SIR. Election analysts note that even a 2 per cent swing in votes can significantly alter electoral outcomes, potentially costing the ruling party power.
Recent election data from other states has heightened these anxieties. In Maharashtra, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and the ruling Maha yuti alliance had nearly identical vote shares in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls the subsequent Assembly election—held after an SIR exercise—saw a sharp divergence in their fortunes. Similarly in Bihar minor vote share swings translated into major seat losses for the opposition.
In West Bengal’s 2024 Lok Sabha elections the TMC secured 46.16 per cent of the vote while the BJP polled 39.08 per cent. The TMC won 29 of the state’s 42 seats with the BJP taking 12. The ruling party now fears that deletion of lakhs of voters—many believed to be its supporters—could decisively tilt the balance.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has mounted a fierce attack on the Election Commission accusing it of acting at the behest of the BJP. Addressing public rallies she warned that she would launch a sit in protest if even a single eligible voters name is struck off. “There will be no detention camps in West Bengal” she said alleging that the SIR was being rushed close to elections for political gain. Banerjee also claimed she herself had not filled the enumeration form questioning whether she needed to “prove her citizenship.”
The TMC has repeatedly alleged that BJP inclined officials are being deputed from Delhi to oversee the SIR process in the state. At a rally in Krishnanagar Banerjee accused the Union Home Minister of attempting to brand Bengalis as illegal immigrants calling him dangerous and warning against what she described as a threat to democratic rights.
The Election Commission however has maintained that the SIR is a routine exercise aimed at ensuring accuracy and integrity of electoral rolls. In October the ECI announced the second phase of SIR across 12 states and Union Territories including West Bengal. It has also revised the timeline for the state pushing the final publication of the electoral rolls to February 14, 2026 citing the scale of verification and the need for rationalisation of polling stations.
As the political temperature rises the SIR has emerged as a central flashpoint in West Bengal run-up to the Assembly elections with both sides bracing for a high-stakes battle over voter inclusion and electoral fairness.
