West Bengal’s electoral landscape has undergone a massive transformation ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, with nearly 91 lakh voters deleted from the rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The state’s electorate has dropped sharply from 7.6 crore in 2024 to 6.7 crore, a decline of around 12%, sparking intense political debate.
The revision exercise, initiated in December 2025, first removed 58 lakh names. Further scrutiny led to an additional 27 lakh deletions in April, while around 33 lakh voters remain under review following directions from the Supreme Court. The scale of the exercise has drawn comparisons to the population of a small country, underlining its potential electoral impact.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has supported the move, with Amit Shah arguing it would eliminate illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar. In contrast, Mamata Banerjee and the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) have opposed it, alleging that genuine voters are being excluded and warning of electoral manipulation.
A key concern is the possible disproportionate impact on minority voters, particularly Muslims, who constitute around 27% of the electorate and are seen as a TMC support base. However, data also shows significant deletions among Hindu voters, including members of the Matua community, traditionally aligned with the BJP, complicating political narratives.
The real impact may be felt in closely contested constituencies. In about 50 seats decided by narrow margins in recent elections, even small shifts in voter composition could prove decisive. Bhabanipur, Banerjee’s constituency, has seen around 47,000 deletions.
As counting progresses, early trends show the BJP leading, with reports suggesting it may have crossed the majority mark. The final outcome could hinge not just on votes cast, but on those excluded.
