SIR: 58 lakh votes cut in Bengal, 42 lakh in Rajasthan; what will happen to those whose names have been removed?
Election Commission SIR Draft Voter List: Lakhs of names have been removed from the voter lists in states like West Bengal, Rajasthan, and Goa. The commission released the draft voter list after completing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The most shocking figure is from West Bengal, where more than 58 lakh voters' names have been removed. The question on everyone's mind is why so many names were removed and whether these people will now be unable to vote.
According to the commission, out of a total of 5.46 crore voters in Rajasthan, forms could not be submitted for approximately 41.85 lakh people. The main reason behind this is that these voters have either passed away or have permanently shifted elsewhere. In West Bengal, this campaign ran from November 4 to December 11. After this, the total number of voters in the state has decreased from 7.66 crore to 7.08 crore. This means that millions of fake or absent voters have been removed from the system.
What will happen to those whose names have been removed?
West Bengal's special observer, Subrata Gupta, has clarified that people do not need to panic. The 30 lakh people whose data did not match the 2002 list will be called for a hearing. There, they can show their documents and get their names added back to the list. In Goa too, more than 1 lakh names have been removed, but eligible voters there can reapply from December 16, 2025 to January 15, 2026. A similar opportunity has been given in Lakshadweep, where 1429 names have been removed from the list.
Notices will be issued to about 11 lakh voters to submit their documents
Looking at the figures for Rajasthan, 8.75 lakh voters were found to be deceased, and 29.6 lakh were found to have shifted or were absent. The most significant impact was seen in the Jaipur district. However, notices will be issued to about 11 lakh voters to submit their documents.
In Goa, out of a total of 11.85 lakh voters, only 10.84 lakh filled out the forms. It is clear that the Election Commission is now determined to make the voter list completely transparent to prevent any irregularities in the future.