Bengal SIR: EC to summon voters flagged for ‘suspicious’ parental age gaps

The Election Commission’s (EC) sweeping Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bengal’s electoral rolls has entered a decisive new phase, with officials set to summon thousands of voters flagged for irregularities — including those showing a “suspicious” age gap of 15 years or more between parents.

Hearings will begin next week, marking a crucial step in the Commission’s push to cleanse and clarify the state’s voter database ahead of the upcoming elections.

An EC official said voters whose details could not be matched with the 2002 rolls, as well as those carrying discrepancies in their enumeration forms, would be called to present clarifications. “These hearings will help ensure the rolls are both accurate and complete,” the official noted, stressing that the verification drive aims to restore the sanctity of the electoral process.

The scale of the task is immense. Bengal currently has 57,52,207 voters marked as uncollectible or untraceable in their forms. Among them, 24,14,750 have passed away, nearly 11.6 lakh could not be located, close to 20 lakh have shifted addresses, over 13 lakh appear in multiple locations, and the forms of more than 11.5 lakh voters remain uncollected due to various logistical challenges.

“These measures are essential to uphold the integrity of the electoral rolls and ensure every eligible citizen finds their rightful place before the polls,” the official said.

Meanwhile, the five special roll observers appointed by the commission have arrived in Bengal and will fan out across districts from Thursday. Their arrival was marked by a high-level review meeting at the office of the chief electoral officer (CEO), where the latest data and field feedback were examined.

CEO Manoj Kumar Agarwal said the observers — entrusted with guarding the transparency and fairness of the SIR — will scrutinise enumeration work, conduct sample checks, meet political parties, and report directly to the commission. “Their findings will guide timely corrective measures and help maintain the purity of the rolls,” he said.

On Wednesday, Kumar Ravi Kant Singh, special roll observer for the Presidency Division, met officials from Howrah, Nadia, Kolkata North, Kolkata South, North 24-Parganas, and South 24-Parganas. The meetings underscored the Commission’s resolve to ensure that Bengal’s electoral rolls stand as a reliable, transparent foundation for the democratic exercise ahead.

With PTI inputs