KOLKATA: The total number of electors in West Bengal now stands at 7.04 crore, marking a significant 8.09% decline from the pre-revision figure of 7.66 crore, according to data released by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, on Saturday, February 28, 2026.
The reduction is the result of a four-month-long Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls that began in October 2025, aimed at cleaning the list of duplicate, deceased, and shifted voters. Crucially, the new total includes approximately 60 lakh electors whose names remain under judicial adjudication, following a recent Supreme Court order.
What the New Numbers Show
The final electorate, as published on February 28, stands at 7,04,59,284. This comprises:
- Male: 3,60,22,642
- Female: 3,44,35,260
- Third Gender: 1,382
The gender ratio remains unchanged at 956 females per 1,000 males, the same as when the voter list was frozen in October 2025.
The Scale of the Revision Exercise
The SIR was a massive undertaking, involving over five lakh government officials, including 80,681 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) covering every polling booth. Around 2.10 lakh Booth Level Agents from recognised political parties also participated.
The process, according to a statement from CEO Manoj Kumar Agarwal, aimed to “ensure the inclusion of all eligible electors and exclusion of all ineligible electors with full transparency.” The key actions included:
| Action | Number of Electors |
|---|---|
| Names deleted from draft roll (Dec 16, 2025) | 58,20,899 (deceased, shifted, duplicate) |
| Additions via Forms 6 & 6A (new voters) | 1,82,036 |
| Additions via Form 8 (corrections/change of address) | 6,671 |
| Deletions via Form 7 (post-draft publication) | 5,46,053 |
| Notices issued for logical discrepancies | ~1.36 crore individuals |
| Summons issued to unmapped voters | 31.68 lakh |
Of the 5.46 lakh deletions via Form 7 after December 16, only 42,501 applications were submitted externally. The remaining 5.04 lakh deletions were carried out internally by ECI officials as per SIR guidelines.
The 60 Lakh Question: Names Under Adjudication
A major point of attention is the 60,06,675 electors whose names are currently under judicial adjudication. This follows a Supreme Court order from February 20, 2026, which mandated that claims and objections be heard by judicial officers.
A total of 501 judicial officers are now involved in this process across the state. CEO Agarwal stated, “We are trying to ensure that the adjudication process concludes at the earliest.” Names cleared through this process will be added back via supplementary electoral rolls.
Addressing Errors and Next Steps
Acknowledging that errors occurred during the large-scale revision, the CEO’s office described them as “minuscule and a very small percentage” compared to the overall number of electors processed. It added that such errors were rectified, and in some cases, action was taken against officials where necessary.
Citizens whose names have been deleted can approach the District Electoral Officer or the District Magistrate within 15 days, and subsequently the CEO’s office.
Election Dates Likely Soon
With the publication of this revised electoral roll—which now serves as the final voter list for the upcoming polls—the Election Commission of India (ECI) is widely expected to announce the schedule for the West Bengal Assembly election in the coming days.
