According to the 2025 electoral roll of West Bengal, there are 7.66 crore voters.
The first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal has exposed widespread inconsistencies, particularly in identifying new voters based on parentage and family mapping from the 2002 rolls, prompting the Election Commission to order a detailed verification of enumeration forms and making a list of voters to be called for hearing, sources said on Friday.
According to ECI data, a total of 58,08,232 enumeration forms were not uploaded on the Block Level Officer (BLO) application. Out of these, there are 24,18,699 deceased voters, 12,01,462 untraceable voters, 19,93,087 permanently shifted voters, 1,37,475 voters enrolled at multiple places, and 57,509 others.
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“Names of fathers are incorrect or mismatched in 85,01,486 cases, accounting for 11.09 per cent of the total voters. Also, 24,21,133 voters are listed as having more than six children, and inconsistencies have been observed in age differences related to parents,” a senior ECI official said.
“In around 13 lakh cases, the age gap between a voter and their parents is less than 15 years, while in 8,77,736 cases, it exceeds 50 years, which is considered unrealistic. Discrepancies were also seen in extended family relationships, with 3,29,152 cases showing an age difference of less than 40 years with grandparents,” the official said.
“Additionally, 20,74,256 voters over the age of 45 years have enlisted their names in the roll for the first time. Errors have also been detected in gender data, with 13,46,918 entries recorded incorrectly, raising concerns about voter identification accuracy,” the official added. “All these electoral details will be either surveyed or analysed further, and a final decision will be taken on whether they will be called for hearing. We have already started our analysis,” the official said.
According to the 2025 electoral roll of West Bengal, there are 7.66 crore voters. Out of these, 58 lakh forms were uncollected and around 30 lakh voters have no mapping; 2.93 crore electors have self-mapping and 3.84 crore have progeny-mapping.
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
