Massive Voter Roll Cleanup in West Bengal Sparks Debate

A top election official disclosed that 40% of adjudicated names have been removed from West Bengal's electoral rolls, leading to nearly 76 lakh deletions. The exercise involved eliminating invalid entries due to death, migration, duplication, and untraceability. Supplementary lists continue to be published amid calls for more transparency.

The Election Commission is under scrutiny as a significant number of voter names have been struck off the electoral rolls in West Bengal. An official confirmed that 40% of adjudicated names have been deleted, amounting to 13 lakh removals from the current adjudication process alone.

In total, nearly 76 lakh names have been removed from voter lists following earlier deletions and adjudications. The process, which started during the SIR exercise, was necessitated by factors such as death, migration, duplication, and untraceability among voters.

The lack of transparency in deletions has drawn criticism. Although a supplementary list was released on Monday, details about deletions remain undisclosed. Meanwhile, Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal has approached the Calcutta High Court for permission to publish updated rolls more frequently.

(With inputs from agencies.)