West Bengal launched the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls on Tuesday, marking the first such exercise since 2002. The Election Commission compared the 2025 voter list with the 2002 roll, revealing that only 32.06 per cent of current voters matched the older list. Out of 7,66,37,529 voters in 2025, just 2,45,71,114 names were found in the 2002 records. Urban and industrial districts like South Kolkata, Howrah, and Paschim Bardhaman showed the lowest matching rates at 35 per cent, 38 per cent, and 31 per cent respectively. Over 80,000 Booth-Level Officers began door-to-door surveys to update the rolls. Deputy Election Commissioner Gyanesh Bharati directed district magistrates to ensure smooth operations and security for field staff during the enumeration process across all districts.
Matching Rates Vary Widely Across Districts
The matching-mapping exercise revealed stark regional differences. South Kolkata recorded the lowest match at 35 per cent, followed by Howrah at 38 per cent and Paschim Bardhaman at 31 per cent. In contrast, rural districts showed higher percentages: Bankura led with 79 per cent, Purba Bardhaman had 73 per cent, Kalimpong 65 per cent, and Purulia 63 per cent. Border districts near Bangladesh showed moderate matches—Malda at 54 per cent, Murshidabad 56 per cent, and South 24 Parganas 45 per cent. South Bengal districts like Birbhum matched 53 per cent and Hooghly 56 per cent. Data for Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri remained unavailable due to recent floods and landslides delaying the process.
Source: Link