West Bengal Election Data Shows Complex Impact of SIR Exercise

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was a contentious issue in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, with opposition parties alleging it was aimed at disenfranchising minorities, migrants, and economically weaker voters. However, Election Commission data paints a complex picture, with both large-scale deletions of 'ineligible' electors and significant additions of eligible voters before nominations closed.

The data shows that the highest deletions during the SIR exercise took place in constituencies concentrated in the Malda and Murshidabad belt, with Sujapur recording the deletion of 1.50 lakh electors, followed by Raghunathganj with 1.30 lakh, Samserganj with 1.25 lakh, Ratua with 1.23 lakh, and Suti with 1.20 lakh deletions.

Despite these large-scale deletions, the final election results did not support the narrative that the exercise had electorally weakened the opposition. All five of these constituencies were won by the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC). The data also shows that the same constituencies witnessed significant additions of eligible electors between February 28, 2026, and the last date of nomination.

The Election Commission will continue to review the electoral rolls and make necessary corrections. The commission has maintained that the SIR exercise was intended to remove duplicate, shifted, deceased, or otherwise ineligible electors, while eligible citizens would continue to be added through the legal process. The post-SIR additions appear to support this claim to a considerable extent. The commission is expected to release further data and analysis on the impact of the SIR exercise in the coming weeks.