Full Breakdown
West Bengal’s Special Intensive Revision: 27 Lakh Voters Deleted and the Political Fallout
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Core Event – Mass Deletions and Judicial Intervention
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal removed roughly 27 lakh names. Judicial officers appointed by the Supreme Court carried out the deletions after a petition filed by former chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The Court directed the constitution of special tribunals on 10 March 2026 to hear the appeals arising from the exercise.
Background & Context – Nationwide SIR rollout
The SIR was launched nationwide under an order dated 24 June 2025, covering all states and union territories. The Election Commission of India issued schedules for the revision on 27 October 2025 (for 12 states and UTs) and on 14 May 2026 (for 19 states and UTs). The process was intended to purge “absent, shifted, duplicate, or dead” entries and resolve logical discrepancies in voter lists.
Data & Statistics – Scope of the West Bengal revision
- Elector base before SIR: 7.66 crore voters.
- Names deleted under the ASDD category: over 63 lakh.
- Entries flagged for logical discrepancies: nearly 1.2 crore.
- “Unmapped” entries (to the 2002 SIR): 30 lakh.
- Final electoral roll publication: 28 February 2026.
- Total appeals filed: more than 38 lakh.
- Appeals disposed by tribunals (as of the Supreme Court affidavit): 1,02,231.
- Appeals from disenfranchised voters: over 22 lakh, leaving eligibility of more than 37 lakh voters undecided ahead of municipal elections.
Official Statements & Responses
West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said the responsibility for the 27 lakh deletions rests with Mamata Banerjee, not with the BJP or the Election Commission, noting that judicial officers acted under Supreme Court directions. The Election Commission reiterated that all SIR orders received unanimous approval from the three election commissioners and that the June 2025 order and subsequent schedules were collectively endorsed.
Criticism & Opposition
Opposition parties, including the Trinamool Congress and the Left Front, allege that the SIR was used to disenfranchise genuine voters and to advantage the ruling BJP in West Bengal. The BJP’s state chief, Samik Bhattacharya, countered these claims, praising Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar for “cleansing” the voter list and removing illegal cross-border entries.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The responsibility for the deletion of 27 lakh names lies with Mamata Banerjee, not the BJP or the Election Commission.” — Suvendu Adhikari
- “In a border state like West Bengal, Gyanesh Kumar took the initiative to remove the names of Bangladeshi infiltrators from the voter list,” — Samik Bhattacharya
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Responsibility for deletions: Adhikari attributes them to Banerjee’s Supreme Court petition, while the TMC and Left allege political motivation by the Election Commission.
- Appeal disposition: The Election Commission reports 1,02,231 appeals disposed, whereas opposition leaders claim the majority of the 38 lakh appeals remain pending, creating a backlog.
What’s Next – Ongoing adjudication and upcoming elections
Special tribunals established after the March 10 2026 Supreme Court order are hearing appeals. Resolving the over 22 lakh disenfranchisement appeals will be critical ahead of West Bengal’s municipal elections later in 2026. No comparable deadline has been announced for West Bengal’s pending appeals.