Special Intensive Revision (SIR) Process Underway for 2026 West Bengal Assembly Elections: Bogus and Deceased Voters Removed

KalimNews, Kalimpong, December 17, 2025 : As part of the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) ongoing efforts to clean up voter lists by removing bogus and deceased voters, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process has been implemented across several states. After its successful completion in Bihar, which preceded the state’s Assembly elections earlier this year, SIR is now being carried out in West Bengal and other states in preparation for the 2026 Assembly elections.

On December 16, 2025, the draft voter list for the 22 Kalimpong Assembly Constituency, part of the Darjeeling Parliamentary Constituency, was published as part of this process. This marks a significant step toward ensuring a more accurate and legitimate electoral roll for the upcoming 2026 elections. The final electoral roll will be published after reviewing objections and claims by January 2026.

The draft list, which was made public by the District Election Officer of Kalimpong District, shows a total of 203,531 voters in the constituency—comprising 101,506 male voters and 102,025 female voters, reflecting a gender ratio of 1,005 women for every 1,000 men. The number of polling stations remains the same as the previous list, with 293 stations. There are no Third Gender voters in the district.

Notably, this year’s revision process reveals a significant reduction in the number of voters from the previous list. The last voter list, published on October 27, 2025, had 220,862 voters with 108,867 male and 111,995 female voters. The reduction in numbers in the new draft list is the direct result of the thorough verification undertaken during the SIR process. The verification identified and removed entries for deceased voters, those who had moved permanently, duplicate entries, and voters who could not be traced.

Out of the 203,531 (92.15%) total entries in the draft list, 220,862 were confirmed as valid. However, 17,331 entries (7.85%) were deemed uncollectible. The uncollected entries include 4,798 (2.17%) deceased voters, 7,987 (3.62%) who had permanently shifted/ relocated, 3,901 (1.77%) who were absent or untraceable, and 430 (0.19%) who had already registered elsewhere and 215 (0.10%) were others who didnot submit Enumerators Form. 84,556 (38.28%) were self mapped electors who themselves were mapped as progeny, 107,409 (48.63%) were mapped with progeny and 11,566 (5,24%) didnot have any progeny or valid relatives and digitised as no mapping.

In addition to these revisions, there are 1,896 service voters in the Kalimpong constituency, comprising 1,850 men and 46 women. To allow transparency, lists of deceased, relocated, and absent voters, as well as those with duplicate registrations, are available for public inspection at several offices, including the Gram Panchayat, Municipality, Development Block, and Electoral Registration Officer’s office. They can also be accessed on the official website of the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal.

The Election Commission has set the period for claims and objections from December 16, 2025, to January 15, 2026. Forms for adding new voters (Form 6), correcting voter details or transferring registrations (Form 8), and lodging objections against incorrect inclusions (Form 7) will be accepted during this time. Voters can submit their applications either offline, through Booth Level Officers, or online via the voters.eci.gov.in website and the ECINET mobile app.

The final electoral roll, reflecting the updated and verified voter list, will be published on February 14, 2026. The SIR guidelines ensure that no name can be removed from the draft list without an order from the Electoral Registration Officer or Assistant Electoral Registration Officer, along with a clear explanation for the removal. Additionally, voters have the right to appeal under Section 24 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.

This comprehensive revision process marks a key step toward ensuring free, fair, and credible elections, not only in West Bengal but across India as part of the Election Commission's ongoing commitment to improving electoral integrity.

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