SIR process: More than 2.5 lakh names struck off voter lists

Raiganj/ Balurghat: The publication of the draft electoral rolls following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has led to the deletion of more than 2.5 lakh voters across North and South Dinajpur districts, according to official data released on Tuesday.

In North Dinajpur district, as many as 1,70,490 names were deleted from the voter list across nine Assembly constituencies. The deletions were made from a total electorate of 23,19,890 voters. After the revision process, 21,49,400 electors were digitally updated, accounting for 92.65 per cent coverage of the total electorate.

Assembly-wise data revealed that Chakulia recorded the highest number of deletions with 21,415 names struck off, followed by Karandighi (21,245), Chopra (19,938), and Raiganj (19,971). Islampur saw 19,354 deletions, while Hemtabad recorded 18,858. Kaliyaganj, Goalpokhar, and Itahar reported 18,034, 17,458, and 14,217 deletions respectively. Officials clarified that most deletions were due to deaths, multiple enrolments and non-submission of enumeration forms.

The draft publication has triggered heightened political activity in the district. Kanaiyalal Agarwal, president of the North Dinajpur district unit of the Trinamool Congress, said Booth Level Assistants of the party had worked closely with Booth Level Officers to help voters submit forms and would continue assisting voters during the hearing process with necessary documents. However, Biswajit Lahiri, a member of the district committee of the Bharatiya Janata Party, claimed that except for deceased and duplicate voters, no genuine elector had been removed, accusing the ruling party of spreading unnecessary panic.

A similar exercise in South Dinajpur district resulted in the deletion of 80,984 voters from the draft roll. Prior to the SIR, the district had 13,31,548 electors. A total of 12,50,564 enumeration forms were collected, reflecting a coverage of 93.92 per cent. Of the deleted voters, 36,303 were marked as shifted or absent, 43,358 were reported deceased and 1,323 were found to be enrolled at multiple locations.

The claims and objections period will remain open from December 16, 2025, to January 15, 2026, followed by hearings and verification till February 7. The final electoral roll is scheduled to be published on February 14, 2026.

Reacting to the draft roll, Balurghat Town TMC president Subhas Chaki said the party would verify the list with EPIC cards. BJP South Dinajpur general secretary Bapi Sarkar alleged discrepancies in deletion figures across constituencies. District Magistrate and District Election Officer Balasubramanian T assured that the revision was conducted transparently as per guidelines of the Election Commission of India and urged voters to verify their names to ensure an error-free final roll.