Kolkata, April 7 – Nearly 91 lakh voters have been removed from the electoral rolls in West Bengal following a special revision exercise in the state, according to data released by the Election Commission.
The election panel has not yet officially announced the final voter list after the revision process.
However, based on the 7.66 crore electors identified at the end of October last year, the total deletion in the state stands at over 11.85%.
Over 27.16 lakh of the 60.06 lakh "under consideration" voters have been removed during the scrutiny by judicial officers, the EC data said.
The figure shows that about 45.22% of the cases under judicial scrutiny after the publication of the post-revision electoral rolls on February 28 were removed.
More than 32.68 lakh of those in the "under consideration" category have been retained and included in the final list.
The EC data showed that the highest number of deletions were in the Muslim-majority district of Murshidabad, where over 4.55 lakh of the 11.01 lakh names under judicial scrutiny were removed from the electoral rolls, taking the deletion figure in the district to around 41.33%.
Significant deletions were also recorded in the North 24 Parganas district, bordering Bangladesh, where over 3.25 lakh of the 5.91 lakh electors under scrutiny were found ineligible to vote, and in Malda, where over 2.39 lakh of the 8.28 lakh voters under judicial review were deleted.
The deletion figures in South 24 Parganas district stood at nearly 2.23 lakh, in Purba Bardhaman district at 2.09 lakh, and in Nadia at 2.98 lakh, the EC data said.
In terms of percentage, the post-adjudication deletions in Nadia and North 24 Parganas – districts dominated by Hindu Matua community members – were at 77.86% and 55.08%, respectively.
Over 28,000 voters were deleted in Kolkata South, which includes Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Bhabanipur constituency, resulting in a 36.19% deletion rate.
About 39,000 voters under consideration in Kolkata North were found ineligible to vote, leading to a deletion rate of nearly 64%.
According to official data released on February 28, 63.66 lakh names, around 8.3% of the electorate, were deleted since the revision process began in November last year, reducing the voter base from about 7.66 crore to just over 7.04 crore.
More than 60.06 lakh electors, who were placed in the "under consideration" category, were part of the 7.04 crore voter base.
Voters who have been removed from the final list have the option to appeal to the tribunals, which were set up under Supreme Court orders in the state. However, it is unclear whether the tribunal judges will be able to exercise their franchise in the upcoming elections.
"The revision exercise has been carried out in a phased and transparent manner. District-wise data has now been made public to ensure complete accountability," a senior EC official said.
Of the 60.06 lakh voters under consideration, data for 59.84 lakh have been formally published, and the remaining 22,163 cases have been disposed of but are yet to be digitally signed, he said.
"Once the pending procedural formalities, including digital signatures, are completed, there may be marginal changes in both the deletion and inclusion figures," the official explained.
The entire exercise has been undertaken in compliance with established guidelines, he said.
"Any further inclusion at this stage will be subject to legal provisions and directions, if any, from competent authorities," the official said.
Meanwhile, with the publication of the final supplementary list, the electoral roll for the first phase of the West Bengal assembly elections has been "frozen" after midnight on Monday in accordance with prescribed norms, he said.
Of the 294 assembly seats, 152 will go to the polls on April 23 in the first phase, and the remaining 142 seats will vote in the second phase on April 29. The rolls for the second round will be frozen on April 9.
"There will be no further inclusion in the electoral roll at this stage. The list stands frozen as per law following the last date of nomination for the first phase," a senior Election Commission official told