Election Commission Identifies 43 Lakh Deceased Voters in West Bengal

The Election Commission of India has identified 43 lakh deceased voters still listed on electoral rolls in West Bengal as of October 27. This effort is part of a three-stage Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to remove ghost, deceased, and duplicate voters before the 2026 assembly elections. The commission compiled this database using Aadhaar records for 34 lakh individuals and state welfare scheme beneficiary lists for another 11 lakh.

To refine the rolls, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) informed West Bengal's Chief Electoral Officer, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, that 34 lakh Aadhaar cards of deceased persons have been deactivated since 2009. Officials are also cross-referencing bank KYC data and conducting door-to-door verifications via Booth Level Officers, who have distributed over 6.98 crore enumeration forms. Draft rolls are scheduled for publication on December 9, with a final list expected by March 2026.

The All India Trinamool Congress has condemned the process as a planted exercise and "Silent Invisible Rigging" orchestrated by the commission and the Bharatiya Janata Party to disenfranchise legitimate voters. The party challenged the revision at the Calcutta High Court, specifically questioning the use of the 2002 voters' list as a base. Meanwhile, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari accused the Trinamool Congress of inserting 13 lakh fake voters into the rolls.