The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in West Bengal has concluded in the manner many had anticipated and feared. As part of the SIR exercise, the Central Election Commission has removed the voting rights of around 91 lakh people from the 7.66 crore voters listed in the state as of October 2025. As expected, nearly one-third of those excluded are Muslims, with a similar proportion being the Matua community, which has remained largely opposed to BJP and Sangh Parivar politics. This development was not unexpected in present-day India, where concerns over the central government’s hold on the Election Commission have been raised at various stages. That's why the 'opposition states' in the country have been gearing up for legal action on this issue right from the start. In this context, it is also widely acknowledged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took a leading role in resisting the move, shaped by both historical and geographical factors. A special judicial commission was appointed to oversee the FIR proceedings in Bengal, probably because she was able to appear in court in lawyers’ attire and present the gravity of the issue before the bench. Even so, when the draft voter list was released, more than 63 lakh names had already been excluded; following further scrutiny of around 60 lakh individuals and the removal of an additional 27.16 lakh names, the total number of exclusions crossed 90 lakh. Thus, approximately 12 per cent of voters have been deleted through the SIR. Voting for the state assembly elections scheduled for April 23 and 29 will be conducted on the basis of this revised electoral roll.
The Election Commission maintains, as it has done in the past, that the reduction in the voter list is due to the removal of deceased individuals, those who have migrated, and duplicate entries. However, this explanation cannot be accepted at face value. In Kerala, which has a population of around 3.5 crore, there were 2.78 crore voters before the SIR. After eliminating duplicate votes and other discrepancies through the SIR process, this number fell to 2.69 crore. It should be noted that Kerala is a state with high population density and a significant migration rate; as a region undergoing rapid urbanisation, the likelihood of duplicate voting is comparatively higher in Kerala Even then, the reduction through the SIR is less than nine lakh — barely three per cent. There are also allegations that even this figure is on the high side. In contrast, West Bengal has seen a 12 per cent reduction. A district-wise examination of those excluded from the voter list makes the situation clearer. The commission’s figures show that the highest number of exclusions from the list occurred in Murshidabad, a Muslim-majority district. Around 7.5 lakh people were excluded here. Of the 11 lakh people included in the list for detailed scrutiny, around 4.5 lakh were removed. In Malda, 4.53 lakh people were excluded, while 3.4 lakh were removed in Uttar Dinajpur. In Nadia district, 78 per cent of those awaiting detailed scrutiny are now outside the voter list. Preliminary analysis indicates that around 70 per cent of the exclusions occurred in areas where the Trinamool Congress had secured major victories in the previous two assembly elections. These figures appear to support Mamata Banerjee’s allegations that the BJP is attempting to manipulate the voter list in its bid to gain control of West Bengal.
Naturally, a significant proportion of those excluded belong to the Muslim community. According to the 2011 Census, Muslims constitute 27 per cent of West Bengal’s population; however, they account for over 34 per cent of those removed from the voter list. Additionally, about 70 per cent of the 57 per cent of excluded voters from the ten districts bordering Bangladesh are Muslims. This suggests that the Election Commission has, in effect, reinforced the Sangh Parivar’s narrative that the SIR process is aimed at identifying and excluding alleged foreign infiltrators from electoral rolls. The Matua Dalit Hindu community has also been a victim of the SIR. They belong to the Hindu Namasudra community, which was once displaced from Bangladesh. Although the Modi government had offered them the benefits of the citizenship law, the Matua community has generally stood with Mamata. Th ey too have been penalised. In effect, it is the two communities whose citizenship concerns raise question marks in West Bengal that now find themselves excluded from the electoral process. This constitutes the most serious risk posed by the SIR. Therefore, the Election Commission’s action cannot be seen as limited to merely denying voting rights. This is a serious issue that calls for a stronger legal battle and democratic resistance.