The Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to begin a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls across the country starting from August or September, prompting sharp political reactions in West Bengal.
The revision, aimed at ensuring only eligible citizens are included in the voters’ list, will involve booth-level officers (BLOs) visiting households to assist with form filling and document verification. Applicants will be required to furnish any one of 11 listed documents, including birth certificates, passports, educational certificates, government-issued IDs, or proof of residence. However, Aadhaar, PAN and driving licences will not be accepted as standalone proof.
Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has strongly objected to the exercise, alleging that the move is politically motivated and designed to disenfranchise voters in West Bengal. She accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to manipulate the voter list for electoral gain. In response, a BJP leader claimed that the state’s voter list contains numerous fictitious names and said the SIR process is essential to remove ineligible voters and detect illegal immigrants. The ECI has clarified that citizens who were enrolled during the last SIR held in 2002 in West Bengal will not be required to produce documents again. Those included in the voter list after 2002, however, must provide one of the 11 valid documents. Individuals born before July 1987 will only need to submit their own document. Those born between 1987 and 2002 must submit either a parent’s document or proof of inclusion in the 2002 voter list. For voters born after 2002, documents from both parents may be required unless their names already appeared in the previous SIR. Amid confusion over requirements, officials have clarified that a birth certificate is just one of several acceptable documents and not mandatory. The SIR is aimed at preventing ineligible individuals, including illegal immigrants, from registering as voters, while ensuring that no genuine citizen is excluded. The revision process will be conducted both offline and online, enabling those residing outside their home states to participate. The ECI stressed that refugees and infiltrators must not be conflated and urged people not to be misled by misinformation. The upcoming revision marks the first major overhaul of the voters’ list in West Bengal since the last SIR conducted in 2002 during the Left Front government. Failure to fill the requisite forms may result in exclusion from the electoral rolls, officials warned. The ECI maintains that the SIR process is a routine administrative exercise that has been carried out periodically since the 1950s in different parts of the country to ensure the accuracy of the electoral rolls.
