Bengal CEO to hold back pre-SIR voter cards

MP | 9 Jan 2026 | Kolkata: The office of the Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has decided not to distribute electoral photo identity cards (EPICs) issued before the commencement of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in the state, for now. Sources in the CEO’s office said the voter cards were printed at Saraswati Press and sent to the addresses of the concerned electors through the Department of Posts. 

However, the cards could not be delivered as no one was found at the designated addresses. Postal officials made three delivery attempts over a one-month period. Around 10 lakh EPIC cards have remained undelivered and were returned to the CEO’s office. Officials believe a significant number of these undelivered cards may pertain to bogus voters.

Bengal CEO Manoj Agarwal said the voter cards would be delivered again after publication of the final voter list. The cards will be sent only to those electors whose names feature in the final list. It may be noted that about 25 lakh voters were found untraceable during the distribution and collection of enumeration forms.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission is expected to start issuing notices to electors with ‘logical discrepancies’ from Thursday. A total of 94.49 lakh voters fall under this category. The poll body has not yet announced specific dates for hearings of these electors, though officials said the process is likely to begin from the middle of next week.