WestBengalElections – The window for submitting claims and objections to West Bengal’s draft electoral roll will shut at midnight on Sunday, marking a significant step in the state’s ongoing voter list revision. Officials involved in the process confirmed that an additional 6.25 lakh names have so far been identified as eligible for removal from the final roll. The scrutiny of documents submitted during the hearing phase, however, will continue for another week, which could further increase the number of deletions before the final list is published.

Additional Names Under Review

Election authorities clarified that the current figure of 6.25 lakh exclusions emerged during the Special Intensive Revision hearings. Since document verification will continue until February 21, more entries may still be struck off if discrepancies are confirmed. The final tally of deletions will become clear only when the updated voters’ list is officially released on February 28.

Earlier in the revision exercise, more than 58 lakh names were omitted during the enumeration stage itself. These included voters identified as deceased, those with duplicate registrations, and individuals who had shifted residences. As a result, their names did not appear in the draft roll published in December last year.

Reasons Behind Fresh Exclusions

Sources from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer said that most of the newly identified cases involve voters who failed to attend the scheduled hearings despite receiving multiple notices. According to officials, these individuals belonged largely to two categories flagged during verification — “unmapped” and “logical discrepancy” cases.

The term “unmapped” refers to voters who were unable to establish a verifiable connection with the 2002 electoral roll of the state. This linkage could be demonstrated either through self-mapping, where individuals confirmed their earlier registration, or through progeny mapping, which traces family lineage to validate eligibility.

On the other hand, “logical discrepancy” cases involve inconsistencies found in family-tree details during the progeny mapping process. In several instances, irregular or conflicting information raised concerns, prompting authorities to seek clarification during the hearing stage.

Final List and Election Commission Visit

The publication date of the final electoral roll was initially set for February 14 but was later extended to February 28 to allow additional time for verification. Officials maintain that the extension was aimed at ensuring accuracy and transparency in the revision process.

A day after the final list is released, a full bench of the Election Commission of India is scheduled to visit West Bengal for a two-day review. The visit will focus on assessing the post-revision situation and preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state later this year. Following this review, the Commission is expected to announce the polling schedule.

Debate Over Poll Phases

West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal has already recommended that the forthcoming Assembly elections be conducted in a single phase. He has conveyed this suggestion to the Election Commission, though he has made it clear that the ultimate decision rests with the Commission.

In recent years, Assembly elections in West Bengal have typically been held across seven or eight phases, citing administrative and security considerations. The last time the state witnessed a single-phase Assembly election was in 2001. Whether the Commission will return to that format this year remains to be seen.

With the revision exercise nearing completion, election authorities say their priority remains ensuring a credible and accurate voter list. The coming weeks will determine the final contours of the electorate that will participate in what is expected to be a closely watched Assembly contest.