With the 2026 Assembly elections only months away, the Election Commission (EC) has turned its focus to the names of 22 lakh migrant workers on the West Bengal’s voter rolls. In a directive to all District Magistrates, the Commission has asked for a detailed account of each migrant worker to ensure that their names are not duplicated across states and that no genuine voter is left out of the electoral rolls.
According to official figures, Bengal has over 22 lakh migrant workers employed in different parts of the country. The EC’s letter makes it clear that each worker’s residential district, duration of stay outside the state, type of work and present location must be documented in detail by the administration.
Most of these workers come from South 24 Parganas, Malda, Murshidabad, Uttar Dinajpur, East Burdwan, Birbhum, Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram and West Midnapore. These districts account for the highest concentration of laborers who frequently migrate in search of work.
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“The initiative has two clear objectives—ensuring that no duplicate names appear in the electoral rolls and that no genuine voter is left out,” said an EC official. He added that the process is being aligned with the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list and similar preparations are underway across Bengal.
Political observers believe the exercise, aimed at cleaning up the rolls, could have an impact on several hotspot constituencies in the upcoming 2026 elections. However, the challenge lies in compiling accurate data on such a vast number of workers scattered across different states.
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