Election Commission’s Special Revision in Bengal Puts Spotlight on Sharp Voter Surge Since 2002

The Election Commission’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal has brought renewed focus on the state’s unusually sharp rise in voter numbers over the past two decades.

According to data from the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office, information for 2,45,71,114 voters- 32.06 per cent of the total electorate- has so far been successfully matched as part of the mapping exercise. Bengal currently has 7,66,37,529 registered voters spread across 294 Assembly constituencies.

The mapping process involves cross-verifying the names in the latest electoral roll with those from the 2002 SIR list, the last such exercise conducted in the state.

It also checks for familial links, such as whether the parents of a present voter figure in the earlier list. Those whose information matches are automatically verified and will not need to furnish documents during the SIR. Others, however, will have to undergo document verification.

The EC’s renewed scrutiny comes amid concerns over an “abnormal” 65.8 per cent surge in Bengal’s voter population between 2002 and 2024- the highest increase among all major Indian states in this period.

The number of voters has risen from 4.58 crore in 2002 to 7.60 crore in 2024, a growth that poll officials say far exceeds logical demographic trends.

“An increase of around 48 to 50 per cent would have been normal. Bengal’s growth is much above that, and it will naturally draw the Commission’s attention,” a senior official in the CEO’s office told UNI on condition of anonymity.

By comparison, voter growth in other large states was far lower Uttar Pradesh saw a 39.1 percent increase, Madhya Pradesh 47.2 per cent, Maharashtra 44.8 per cent, Bihar 50.3 per cent, and Tamil Nadu just 18.8 per cent.

Election Commission officials attributed the spike to the failure to delete names of deceased and migrated voters, rather than demographic expansion. During the last intensive revision in 2002, over 28 lakh names were deleted, and officials expect a similar pruning this time.

The exercise, however, has triggered a political debate.

The BJP claims that the surge reflects large-scale inclusion of “illegal infiltrators” from Bangladesh and has demanded a stringent clean-up, particularly in border districts such as Bongaon, Rajarhat-Gopalpur, Barasat, and Nadia, where voter numbers reportedly jumped 16–18 per cent.

The Trinamool Congress, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has dismissed the allegations, calling the exercise politically motivated. Mamata has likened the Bihar SIR process - which is facing legal challenges - to an NRC-like drive, warning that Bengal could be the “actual target.”

Within the administrative setup, the Commission has instructed that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) be appointed from Group C or higher state employees to ensure accountability during the revision. Officials stressed that no genuine voter would be deleted in the clean-up.

As the SIR progresses, Bengal’s “abnormal” voter surge - the steepest in the country - is set to remain a key issue ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, with both the Election Commission and political parties watching the figures closely.