THE STATESMAN

With the judicial adjudication process for voters in West Bengal concluded on Monday midnight, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has estimated that the total number of deleted voters in West Bengal has risen to approximately 91 lakh.

However, the number might increase nominally after the process is completed.

As per the figures provided by the office of the chief electoral officer, West Bengal, of 60,06,675 cases referred for judicial adjudication, the process has been finalised for 59,84,512 cases. Again, out of the figure, the number of voters who have been deemed “excludable” and hence “deleted” by the judicial officers stands at 27,16,393.

Before the notification of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) was issued for West Bengal in November last year, the total number of voters in the state stood at 7,66,37,529. In the final voters’ list published on February 28, the deletion figure rose to 63,66,952.

“Now, with 27,16,393 cases found excludable by the judicial officers, the total number of deleted voters in West Bengal in the entire SIR exercise has increased to 90,83,345,” explained an officer from the CEO’s office.

Murshidabad has the highest number of deleted names, with 4,55,137, followed by North 24 Parganas with 3,25,666, and another minority-dominated district, Malda, with 2,39,375.

The two-phase Assembly polls in West Bengal will be held on April 23 and April 29. In the first phase, voting will be held for 152 Assembly constituencies, and in the second phase, the remaining 142 seats will have polling. The results will be declared on May 4.