The Election Commission of India published the final voter list for West Bengal on Saturday, February 28, following the completion of the Special Intensive Revision process. The list covers more than seven crore voters and classifies each entry as approved, deleted, or under adjudication ahead of the state’s upcoming Assembly elections.
The publication marks the end of a months-long exercise that reshaped the state’s electoral database and triggered a sharp political battle between the ruling Trinamool Congress, the BJP, and the courts.
What Is the SIR and Why Was It Conducted?
The Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, is a voter list verification exercise announced by the Election Commission of India on June 24 last year for the entire country. The commission has completed the exercise in 13 states and union territories, including West Bengal. The stated aim is to remove duplicate, deceased, migrated, and untraceable voters from electoral rolls to ensure accuracy.
West Bengal’s draft rolls, published on December 16, saw the total electorate shrink from 7.66 crore to 7.08 crore. Over 58 lakh names were deleted during the process. A second phase covered hearings for 1.67 crore electors, of whom 1.36 crore were flagged for what the commission described as “logical discrepancies.” Approximately 60 lakh voters remain under adjudication and their voting status has not yet been confirmed.
Why Has the SIR Become Politically Contentious?
The ruling Trinamool Congress has strongly opposed the exercise, calling it “NRC through the backdoor” โ a reference to the National Register of Citizens, which has been a deeply sensitive issue in the state. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took the extraordinary step of appearing before the Supreme Court on February 4, seeking that the next Assembly election be conducted on the existing 2025 voter rolls.
“Lakhs of genuine voters are at risk of exclusion. This is not revision, this is omission,” Banerjee said in court.
The TMC has also claimed that at least 120 deaths have occurred since the revision began on November 4, including alleged suicides by voters and booth-level officers under stress from the process. TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said, “Bengal is not Bihar. The demography here is uniquely sensitive.”
The BJP has backed the revision and dismissed the TMC’s claims. The Election Commission has maintained that the SIR is not a citizenship-determination exercise and that affected voters have clear avenues for redress.
The Supreme Court directed the deployment of serving and former district judges to assist the commission and permitted the publication of the draft list by February 28, while allowing supplementary lists to be issued later.
When and Where Can Voters Check Their Names?
State Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal confirmed that the final list would be available online from 12 noon on Saturday, with full access expected by 2 pm. Voters can check their status by entering their name and EPIC number โ the voter card number โ on any of the official platforms.
The list is accessible on the Election Commission’s main website at eci.gov.in, the state Chief Electoral Officer’s website at ceowestbengal.wb.gov.in, and the ECI Net mobile application. Hard copies are available at DEO, SDO, and BDO offices across the state. Representatives of eight recognised political parties will receive pen drives with the complete list from the CEO office.
You can check either on
- ECINET mobile app
- www.voters.eci.gov.in
- www.ceowestbengal.wb.gov.in
Or you may have to visit your polling station or contact your BLO
How to find your name on voters.eci.gov.in
Visit the official website of ECI at www.voters.eci.gov.in.
Click on โDownload Electoral Rollโ under theโServicesโ section
A new page will appear on the screen
Select the following details on the portal: State โ West Bengal, Year of Revision โ 2026, Roll Type โ SIR Final Roll 2026, District โ as applicable, Assembly Constituency โ as applicable and Language โ as preferred.
Enter the captcha code.
Choose your polling station name from list, click on โDownload Selected PDFsโ to access voter list.
What Do the Three Categories Mean?
A name appearing without any label means the voter has been verified and is eligible to vote. The label “Under Adjudication” or “Pending” means the case is still being reviewed and the voter’s eligibility is not yet confirmed. The label “Deleted” means the name has been removed from the rolls and that person cannot vote.
Notably, the state’s Chief Secretary was reported to be among those in the adjudication category after an enumeration form was not filled completely. TMC MP and lawyer Kalyan Banerjee said in court, “The matter of the Chief Secretary is also sub judice.”
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