2.6 mn names in current Bengal voter list do not match with 2002 rolls: EC

Don't want to miss the best from Business Standard?

The Election Commission has reported that nearly 26 lakh voters' names in West Bengal's current electoral rolls are not matching with the voter list of 2002, an official said on Wednesday.

The discrepancy emerged after the state's latest voter list was compared with the lists prepared across different states between 2002 and 2006 during the previous SIR exercise, he said.

According to Election Commission sources, more than 60 million enumeration forms in West Bengal had been digitised by Wednesday afternoon under the ongoing SIR process.

"Once digitised, these forms are brought under the mapping procedure, where they are matched against the previous SIR records. Initial findings show that the names of around 26 lakh voters in West Bengal cannot yet be reconciled with the data from the last SIR cycle," the official told PTI.

"Many voters or their families whose names appeared in those earlier lists may have subsequently migrated to West Bengal. Such voters remain Indian citizens, making it necessary for the state to map their details even if their earlier records belong to another state. By matching West Bengal's voter rolls with those of other states, the commission identified the 26 lakh names that currently remain unmatched," the official added.

He said that the figure may rise further as digitisation continues.

In the electoral context, "mapping" refers to cross-verifying the latest published voter list with the SIR rolls last compiled in 2002.

"The process examines how many names appear in both lists and also checks whether the names of the parents of any current voter appear in the earlier SIR records. When such matches are found, the voter is automatically identified without requiring separate verification," he explained.

This year, the mapping exercise has also included voter lists from other states, a step taken by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer to ensure a more comprehensive and accurate verification process, he added.

However, a mismatch in mapping does not mean automatic removal from the final electoral roll, he clarified.

Voters, whose information matches the earlier lists will not need to submit any additional documents and may simply fill out the enumeration form provided by the poll body, the official stated.

"For those whose names cannot be matched or traced through these records, document-based verification will be conducted to confirm their identity and eligibility," he added.

The EC has stated that the objective of this exercise is to ensure accuracy and transparency in the voter rolls ahead of future elections, and that no eligible voter will be excluded without thorough verification.