ECI's Special Intensive Revision begins Nov 4, 2025, in West Bengal (covering 7.6 crore voters); BLOs will visit homes 3 times until Dec 4 to distribute/collect enumeration forms (EFs) for verification.
Draft rolls published Dec 9; claims/objections Dec 9-Jan 8; final list Feb 7, 2026; Aadhaar as ID proof only; appeals to DM or CEO if unresolved.
BJP hails for transparency, alleges TMC manipulation; TMC calls it 'NRC-like' ploy, threatens protests if genuine voters deleted; 80,000+ BLOs trained, parties appoint BLAs to monitor.
West Bengal's 'Hyper-Charged' SIR Kicks Off
with over 80,000 booth-level officers (BLOs) set to knock on doors across the state in a house-to-house verification drive targeting 7.6 crore voters ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
Summary
West Bengal's politically charged Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls launches Tuesday, with over 80,000 booth-level officers (BLOs) set to knock on doors across the state in a house-to-house verification drive targeting 7.6 crore voters ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. Dubbed "hyper-charged" by observers amid accusations of bias and disenfranchisement, the ECI-mandated exercise—last conducted in 2002—aims to purge ineligible names while ensuring no genuine voter is excluded, but has ignited a TMC-BJP showdown over alleged manipulation.
BLOs, mostly government employees, will distribute pre-filled unique enumeration forms (EFs) containing each voter's details as of Oct 27, 2025, visiting households at least three times between Nov 4 and Dec 4. Voters must confirm details and return forms; new voters (18+) or migrants submit Form 6 with ID proofs like Aadhaar (for identity only, not citizenship). No extra documents needed during enumeration, per ECI's 16-point guidelines. The BLO app will streamline data entry, with political parties appointing booth-level agents (BLAs) for oversight.
Draft rolls, including only those submitting EFs, publish Dec 9, followed by claims/objections until Jan 8 (hearings Jan 9-31). Unlinked voters (to 2002 rolls) get notices; absent/shifted/deceased/duplicate lists displayed at panchayats and CEO website. Appeals go to district magistrates, then Chief Electoral Officer. Final rolls out Feb 7—months before April-May polls. Training for BLOs wrapped Nov 3; a 'Book-a-Call with BLO' helpline addresses queries.
The process, part of ECI's Phase 2 nationwide SIR covering 51 crore voters in 12 states/UTs, has sparked fury. TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee labeled it a "sinister BJP-EC ploy" echoing NRC fears, vowing a Delhi protest with "one lakh people" if deletions occur; Abhishek Banerjee accused saffron "booth muscle." BJP, via Amit Malviya and Suvendu Adhikari, demands strict document checks (birth certs, family registers) to root out "illegal infiltrators," filing EC complaints over "forged" papers. CPI(M)'s Mohammed Salim urged transparency, warning against preemptive deletion claims. A recent border-district officer reshuffle (64 IAS, hundreds civil servants) fueled suspicions.
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ECI insists neutrality: "No eligible left out, no ineligible in." With 950 voters/booth average, the drive tests Bengal's booth-level warfare—administrative vs. organizational armies—potentially reshaping 2026's voter math in this 7.6-crore electorate.
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