The Special Intensive Revision in West Bengal: Cleansing Voter Rolls or Reshaping Democracy?

Tarik Aziz
5 Dec, 2025
West Bengal is at the centre of a national discussion about citizenship, voting rights, and electoral fairness. In 2025, the Election Commission of India (ECI) will carry out a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in several states, focusing especially on West Bengal before the 2026 Assembly elections. This effort aims to remove duplicate, fake, or ineligible entries and ensure that only real Indian citizens are on voter lists. While the process is routine, its timing, scale, and political narratives raise important questions about transparency, potential bias, and the larger issue of cross-border migration.

The SIR process is neutral and fact-based. It relies on official statements, demographic data, and real-world conditions. It aims to inform readers about how voter lists are updated, why these revisions matter, and what the current situation means for West Bengal’s diverse communities—Hindus, Muslims, and tribal groups.

What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)?

Electoral Roll Revision is a standard process under the Representation of the People Act, 1950. Each year, the ECI updates voter lists through Summary Revision. However, when large discrepancies arise, a Special Intensive Revision is initiated. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) visit each household, verify documents, and cross-check entries against Aadhaar, ration cards, and other official records.

In West Bengal, the current SIR started in mid-2025 after the ECI spotted significant issues in districts near Bangladesh, such as North 24 Parganas, Murshidabad, Malda, and South Dinajpur. Similar revisions took place in Bihar earlier this year and are ongoing in Assam and Jharkhand. The main goal is straightforward: one citizen, one vote.

The Bangladesh Border: A Persistent Challenge

West Bengal has a 2,217-kilometre border with Bangladesh, much of which is porous. Rivers, unfenced villages, and shared cultural connections have made crossing the border relatively easy. The Ministry of Home Affairs reports that fencing is complete along about 3,000 km of the India–Bangladesh border. However, gaps remain in West Bengal due to difficult terrain and pending land acquisition.

Over the years, economic challenges and political instability in Bangladesh have led to migration into India. Estimates vary greatly. Intelligence reports suggest that 1 to 2 crore Bangladeshi nationals may be living in India, with many in West Bengal, Assam, and Tripura. Many of these migrants have obtained Indian documents, allowing them to vote, access welfare programmes, and find jobs.

This issue is not new. Both Congress-led and BJP-led governments have dealt with it, but the lack of a comprehensive National Register of Citizens (NRC) and delays in fully implementing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, have left matters unresolved.

Why Now? The Timing of SIR in West Bengal

With Assembly elections coming in April to May 2026, the SIR has inevitably become politicised. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) claims that the process disproportionately targets areas with a Muslim majority, areas that traditionally support the party. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) argues that cleaning voter lists is vital for free and fair elections and stops “vote bank politics” related to illegal settlers.

Data from the ECI’s ongoing revision shows that many objections have been raised against voters, mainly in border districts with large Muslim populations. However, the Commission states that the verification process is religion-neutral and relies solely on documentary evidence and door-to-door checks.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act and “Hindu Cards”

A parallel development complicates matters. The Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, allow full implementation of the CAA. This act fast-tracks citizenship for non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.

In several districts of West Bengal, camps organised by local administrations (often with the presence of local BJP members) have been processing applications. Applicants receive acknowledgement receipts—sometimes referred to in the media as “Hindu cards”—which confirm their CAA application. These receipts are not citizenship certificates but proof that the application is being processed.

Critics say that running SIR and CAA camps at the same time creates confusion. Muslim migrants may risk losing their voting rights if they are removed from voter lists, while Hindu migrants could gain citizenship (and eventually voting rights). The ECI has clarified that those benefiting from the CAA will be added to voter lists only after they receive formal citizenship, a process that can take months or even years.

Impact on Muslim Communities in West Bengal

West Bengal is home to about 2.5 crore Muslims, making up 27% of the state’s population according to the 2011 Census (the 2021 Census has not been released). Many are Bengali-speaking Indian citizens whose families have lived in the state for generations. However, border districts have seen demographic changes over the years, raising real concerns about immigration.

Community leaders linked with WB Muslim SIR, WB Islamic Information Networks, and local groups, including WB Islamic Studio and WB Muslim TV, have asked for calm. They advise residents to cooperate with BLOs and keep all documents. Mosques and madrasas are distributing simple guides—in Bengali and Urdu—that explain the verification process.

Educational initiatives like WB Islamic Media programmes and HM Muslim TV broadcasts clarify that SIR is not a deportation scheme. Only those who cannot prove their citizenship risk being removed from voter lists; immediate deportation will not follow.

Ground Realities: Fear, Migration Rumours, and Empty Villages

Reports from border villages reveal anxiety. Some families, especially recent migrants, have returned to Bangladesh out of fear of scrutiny. Local journalists report that certain communities are quieter than usual, although the scale of this is hard to gauge.

Meanwhile, long-term residents express frustration at being repeatedly asked to prove their citizenship. Older voters who registered decades ago often lack birth certificates and rely on school records or affidavits. The ECI has set up facilitation centres and extended deadlines to help with such cases.

Electoral Implications for 2026

Political analysts suggest that border districts account for about 100 to 120 Assembly seats. Even a slight change in voter composition could affect the results. The TMC has historically won in Muslim-majority constituencies, while the BJP has made inroads among Hindu voters, especially in Matua communities benefitting from the CAA.

Yet democracy is strongest when voter lists are accurate, not inflated or manipulated. A clean electoral roll helps every party and, more importantly, every citizen.

The Way Forward: Transparency and Trust

For the SIR to maintain public trust, the Election Commission must guarantee:

  1. Door-to-door checks by trained, neutral BLOs. 
  2. Public display of draft rolls with sufficient time for claims and objections. 
  3. Clear communication in Bengali, Urdu, and local dialects. 
  4. Independent monitoring by civil society observers. 
  5. Tough action against any political interference at verification camps.

Both central and state governments must work together on border security. Completing the fencing, improving cooperation between the BSF and state police, and creating a fair way to identify genuine refugees will help reduce future controversies.

Democracy Strengthened, Not Divided

The Special Intensive Revision in West Bengal is fundamentally an administrative effort to protect the integrity of voting. It is not—and should not be treated as—a tool for communal division. Every Indian citizen, regardless of religion, deserves to trust that their vote is counted equally and that voter lists reflect reality.

As the state approaches the 2026 elections, political parties should support democracy by encouraging citizens to take part in the verification process instead of spreading fear. Media outlets, community leaders, and educational platforms—whether WB Islamic information channels or mainstream networks—play a crucial role in providing accurate, calm, and accessible information.

West Bengal’s strength has always been its diversity. A fair, transparent SIR will not diminish that diversity; it will uphold the democratic principle that every voice belongs to a citizen. Only then can the state—and the nation—move forward with trust in the electoral process that unites us all.
Tarik Aziz

Tarik Aziz

Politically neutral Blogger exploring historical controversies. Political Science and International Relations aspirant, anti-extremism advocate, Educator (BA, MA Political Science, B.Ed), with skills in Web Development and MS Office.

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