Massive voter list clean-up kicks off; Bengal, Tamil Nadu row erupts

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched Phase II of its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, covering approximately 51 crore electors across 12 States and Union Territories in what is being described as the largest voter roll cleanup since 2002-2004.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA/ SUPROTIM MUKHERJEE/ AGENCIES

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said the exercise, set to begin on 4 November, aims to remove duplicate entries, delete names of the deceased, and correct discrepancies. The campaign's motto is "Pure Electoral Rolls Strengthen Democracy."

The initiative will include States heading for Assembly polls in 2026 such as Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, though Assam has been excluded for now due to a differing citizenship verification framework.

In West Bengal, just hours before the ECI's press conference, the state government carried out a massive administrative reshuffle, transferring 64 IAS officers including 10 District Magistrates, and 457 officers from the West Bengal Civil Service. The timing drew sharp criticism from the Opposition, which accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of pre-empting ECI transfers by moving longserving DMs to positions of influence.