Nearly 14 Lakh SIR Forms Marked ‘Uncollectable’ in West Bengal: Election Commission

Nearly 14 lakh Special Intensive Revision (SIR) enumeration forms have so far been identified as “uncollectable” in West Bengal, according to the Election Commission.

Officials said the forms were classified as uncollectable because the listed voters were found to be absentee, duplicate, deceased, or had permanently shifted from their registered addresses.

The number of such forms stood at 10.33 lakh on Monday, indicating a sharp rise in uncollectable cases within a day.

Election officials are continuing the verification process as part of the ongoing electoral roll revision exercise in the state.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee unleashed a torrent of criticism against the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday, November 25, over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging it is a politically motivated ploy to disenfranchise genuine voters in the state. Speaking at an anti-SIR rally in Bongaon, North 24 Parganas district, Banerjee branded the ECI as the "BJP's Commission," questioning if voter lists were being prepared from BJP offices and vowing fierce resistance to protect Bengal's democratic fabric.

The Trinamool Congress supremo led a three-kilometer protest march from Bongaon to Thakurnagar, flanked by party heavyweights and enthusiastic supporters waving flags and chanting slogans against the SIR exercise, which she described as "chaotic, coercive, and dangerous." Banerjee highlighted the selective implementation of SIR in Bengal but not in BJP-ruled Assam despite its impending polls, accusing the central government of engineering voter deletions to tilt the scales for the 2026 Assembly elections.

"If your name gets deleted, the central government should also be deleted," she thundered to thunderous applause, escalating her rhetoric by warning that any attempt to "strike" her in Bengal would prompt her to "shake the whole country" and dismantle BJP's foundations nationwide.

SIR is a focused exercise conducted by the Election Commission of India to update and cleanse electoral rolls. Unlike routine annual revisions, SIR is undertaken in specific constituencies or states when there are concerns about the accuracy of voter lists due to large-scale migration, urbanisation, or reported irregularities.

The process involves door-to-door verification by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), collection of enumeration forms from registered voters, and physical verification of addresses. The objective is to remove duplicate, deceased, or shifted voters, and to include eligible but unregistered citizens.

SIR is typically ordered ahead of major elections to ensure the integrity and credibility of the electoral process. The exercise is carried out under strict timelines and is monitored closely by senior election officials and observers. In states like West Bengal, where population mobility is high, SIR is considered critical for maintaining accurate and transparent voter rolls.