SIR in 3 States, 2 UTs: Why Over 1 Crore Electors Are Missing From Draft Electoral Rolls | Explained

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than one crore electors were missing from draft electoral rolls released Tuesday in three states and two Union territories, according to data published by the Election Commission as part of its ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.What the numbers showThe draft rolls currently list 12.32 crore voters, compared with 13.36 crore electors on the rolls as of October 27, leaving a gap of about 1.04 crore names.Election Commission officials said the draft figures include new voters who applied through Form 6, and stressed that the process is not final.

Why so many names are missingOfficials explained that electors who did not submit enumeration forms have been placed under the ASD category - absent, shifted, or dead/duplicate.Importantly, these names have not been deleted. Each case will be reviewed by the electoral registration officer of the constituency before the final rolls are published in February 2026.State-wise snapshotWest Bengal: 7.08 crore names in draft rolls against 7.66 crore earlier, a gap of 58 lakh, the highest among the states covered

Rajasthan: 5.04 crore included out of 5.48 crore; 44 lakh placed in ASDGoa: 10.84 lakh listed; 1.01 lakh marked ASDPuducherry: 9.18 lakh included out of 10.21 lakhLakshadweep: 56,384 names included against 58,000 earlierWhat happens nextThe Election Commission announced the SIR exercise for 12 states and UTs on October 27 but later revised timelines after requests from chief electoral officers.Revised draft roll dates:Tamil Nadu, Gujarat: December 19Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands: December 23Uttar Pradesh: December 31Kerala: December 23 (revised earlier)

Why this mattersThe SIR process plays a key role in cleaning electoral rolls, but large gaps at the draft stage often trigger political scrutiny, especially ahead of elections. The Election Commission maintains that the exercise allows eligible voters ample opportunity to verify and restore names before the final list is published. What Happened in Bengal - 58 lakh names off WB Rolls Under SIRWest Bengal’s voter base has seen one of its biggest shake-ups in decades, with over 58 lakh names missing from the draft electoral rolls released under the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR).According to the draft rolls published on Tuesday, the state’s electorate has dropped from about 7.66 crore to 7.08 crore voters. The deletions were made due to reasons such as death, permanent migration, duplicate entries and non-submission of enumeration forms. Election officials said the final rolls could still see additions when claims and objections are addressed.

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The impact is especially visible in north Bengal, where all seven districts reported large deletions, particularly in border and urban pockets. Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar emerged among the most affected, with several constituencies losing tens of thousands of voters. Many of these seats are held by both the TMC and the BJP, raising questions about future electoral equations.Large-scale deletions were also recorded in Muslim-majority and border districts such as Murshidabad and Malda, as well as in North 24 Parganas, where nearly eight lakh names were struck off. BJP strongholds like Bhatpara and Barrackpore saw some of the highest percentage cuts.In Kolkata, prominent constituencies witnessed sharp declines. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Bhabanipur seat recorded significantly higher deletions than Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari’s Nandigram, while Chowringhee logged the highest absolute drop statewide.