Bengal SIR: EC Begins Hearings For Deleted Voters; List Of Documents Needed If Your Name Is Missing From Draft Roll

Kolkata SIR: As the hearings to determine whether lakhs of electors will remain on the electoral rolls begin in West Bengal, the Election Commission of India has restricted attendance to only Booth Level Officers (BLOs), their supervisors, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), and micro-observers.

This move is part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process aimed at updating the electoral rolls, and as a result, Booth Level Agents (BLAs) representatives of political parties who assist with document collection will not be allowed at the hearings. Unlike BLOs, who are government officials overseeing the revision, BLAs are involved in supporting political party work.

Officials and micro-observers central government employees in Group ‘B’ roles will sit at 11 tables in each of the state’s 294 Assembly constituencies. They will address cases involving 32 lakh "unmapped" voters, those whose names, or their parents' names, were missing from the 2002 SIR list as well as electors flagged for discrepancies, such as data mismatches or errors in voter enumeration forms.

A senior Election Commission official explained that BLAs were excluded to "prevent unnecessary chaos" and maintain transparency throughout the process.

Officials further noted that if necessary, additional tables could be added. Around 4,000 micro-observers have been appointed, and West Bengal’s Chief Election Officer, Manoj Agarwal, announced that notices would be issued to those failing to follow the instructions.

The first phase of hearings will focus on the 32 lakh unmapped voters, followed by the cases involving logical discrepancies.

On December 16, the Election Commission published the state’s draft electoral rolls following the SIR exercise, removing the names of more than 58 lakh voters for reasons such as death, migration, and failure to submit enumeration forms.

Kolkata SIR: What Documents Are Needed if Your Name Is Missing from the Draft List?

- To check if your name is on the draft electoral rolls, visit the official website of the Election Commission at voters.eci.gov.in or Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer’s website at ceowestbengal.wb.gov.in.

- If your name is not listed, you will need to fill out Form 6, along with ‘Annexure-IV’, a declaration form and submit it to the Booth Level Officer (BLO). This can be done either offline at the BLO’s office, online at voters.eci.gov.in or through the ECINET app.

a. Form 6 - to add your name.
b. Form 7 - to remove your name (if wrongly included).
c. Form 8 - for corrections like name, address, age, gender, EPIC details, etc.

- You can submit these online, via the app, or offline through your BLO during the claims period.

- Applicants will also need to appear for a hearing, during which they must submit proof of Indian citizenship and voter eligibility and explain why their names were omitted during the revision, according to a Times of India report.

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- If you cannot access the website, contact the BLO appointed by the Election Commission, or ask the Booth Level Assistants (BLAs) from political parties for help.

- The claims and objections window is open till January 15, 2026.

Here are the 11 documents that will be accepted:

- Identity card as a state or central government employee or pension holder

-Documents provided by post office, bank, LIC or local authorities before 1987

-Birth certificate

-Passport

-Madhyamik or any other certificate of educational qualification

-Residential certificate given by any organisation under the state government

-Forest right certificate

-Caste certificate

-National Register of Citizens (only for Assam)

-Family register by local administration

-Land allotment or house allotment certificate given by the government.

Your Aadhaar card will not work as the sole identity document.

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- Voters may submit any of the 12 recognised documents, including Aadhaar, as proof of identity and address. However, Aadhaar will not be accepted as a standalone document. Additionally, voters aged 85 or older are not required to attend the hearing in person, as Election Commission officials will conduct the process at their homes.