The Election Commission of India (ECI) is likely to begin the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls across West Bengal from November 2, signaling the start of preparations for the 2026 Assembly elections. The Commission conveyed this message during a crucial meeting with Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs-AEROs) of Purba Medinipur, Bankura and Jhargram districts held at Kolaghat on Thursday.
According to sources, the Commission emphasised that no lapse will be tolerated in the voter list revision process. Officials have been instructed to ensure thorough ground-level verification rather than mere “paper preparations.”
“SIR is meant to make the voter list accurate. All officers must complete their assigned work within the specified time. Responsibility cannot be avoided if irregularities are detected,” said a Commission official, underscoring the need for precision and accountability.
The ECI is also planning to hold district-wise meetings with BLOs in the coming days. Reports on the preparedness of each district have been sought urgently.
“Clear instructions have come from the Commission—everyone has been asked to remain alert,” a senior state administration official confirmed. The high-level ECI delegation, including Deputy Election Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti, Director General (IT) Seema Khanna, Secretary SB Joshi and Deputy Secretary Abhinav Agarwal, arrived in Kolkata from Delhi on Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning, they held a virtual meeting with District Magistrates from across West Bengal.
During that meeting, the Commission made its stance clear—all preparatory work must be completed by October 15. Officials were warned against any delay in issuing notifications or distributing forms and told that strict action will follow any sign of negligence.
In Thursday’s Kolaghat meeting, the Commission reviewed each district’s readiness, checking progress reports on the spot. Officials were instructed that at least 30 per cent of the form printing should be completed within four to five days of the notification’s publication.
Importantly, each district must handle its own printing operations. “The Commission will not follow the Bihar model of sending forms from a single source,” an official clarified.
West Bengal currently has around 7.65 crore registered voters, and over 15 crore application forms will be printed for the SIR exercise—two per voter. One copy will remain with the voter, while the other will be collected by the BLO during door-to-door verification.
“Printing will begin once the soft copy of the forms is received from Delhi, after which BLOs will start distributing them across booths statewide,” said a state government official.
With these developments, it is evident that the Election Commission has initiated full-scale preparations for the electoral process in Bengal. From strict verification protocols to tight deadlines and on-the-ground monitoring, the message is loud and clear—No negligence will be tolerated this time.
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