Election Commission likely to launch SIR in West Bengal from November 1

Election Commission of India

After Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is likely to launch a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal from November 1, sources told News18. All District Election Officers (DEOs) have been instructed to remain alert as the exercise could begin at any moment.

According to sources, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal has directed all District Magistrates to begin preparations immediately and ensure that any pending work is completed without delay. The communication from the CEO followed a meeting with the ECI earlier this week. From today, the CEO’s office will function round the clock, and all personnel involved in SIR-related work are required to remain present.

Every District Election Officer (DEO) and Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) has been directed to establish a dedicated help desk for SIR-related issues in their respective offices. A multi-party meeting will be held the day after the official announcement of the SIR—both at the state level by the CEO and at the district level by District Magistrates. All discussions and resolutions from these meetings will be reported to the Election Commission.

Sources said the CEO has already conveyed these directives to all District Magistrates across West Bengal.

Earlier this month, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had stated that the ECI had decided to conduct a pan-India SIR exercise across all states and Union Territories. “It is a work in progress. The EC will decide on the dates and make a formal announcement,” he said during a press conference.

The SIR exercise in Bihar, held ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, resulted in the deletion of around 69 lakh names from the voter rolls due to deaths, duplication, and inclusion of ineligible voters, including illegal immigrants. After the revision, Bihar’s total voter count stood at 7.43 crore.

The exercise triggered strong reactions from Opposition parties, who alleged that the move was aimed at “disenfranchising voters.” The Election Commission, however, refuted these claims, asserting that the revision was carried out to “purify” the electoral rolls ahead of the polls.

Officials said the model used in Bihar’s SIR is likely to be replicated nationwide to standardise voter verification before upcoming elections.