Today marks the release of draft electoral rolls for West Bengal, Rajasthan, Goa, Puducherry, and Lakshadweep, as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has scheduled the publication of these draft rolls as part of Phase 2 of the SIR.

The ECI will share hard copies of the draft rolls with all recognized political parties through the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) and District Election Officers (DEOs). The electoral rolls will also be available on the websites of the CEOs and DEOs, ensuring accessibility for the general public. Additionally, lists of absent, shifted, dead, and duplicate electors will be uploaded on these websites.

Following the publication of the draft rolls, the period for submitting claims and objections will remain open until January 17, 2026. The notice phase, encompassing hearings and verification, will continue until February 7, 2026. The final electoral rolls are scheduled for publication in February 2026.

Sources suggest potential deletions ranging from 7.5% to 8.5% of electors in West Bengal, Rajasthan, and Goa, while Lakshadweep may see a comparatively lower deletion rate of approximately 2.5%. West Bengal is anticipated to have around 58 lakh electors removed due to reasons such as being deceased, permanently shifted, untraceable, or registered in multiple locations. Furthermore, a significantly higher number of notices may be issued to electors with discrepancies in their enumeration forms.

In Goa, with a total electorate of 11.8 lakh, the number of electors identified for deletion due to being dead, shifted, duplicate, or untraceable may reach around a lakh, constituting approximately 8.5%. Rajasthan may witness the removal of 7.5% to 8% of its 5.46 crore electors. Lakshadweep is expected to have the lowest percentage of electors, around 2.5% of its 57,813 electorate, removed from the rolls.

According to officials, the presence of numerous dead, duplicate, and shifted voters on the rolls can be attributed to a 2010 amendment in the Representation of the People Act, which disallowed any changes or deletions to a roll entry without proper verification. However, the procedures for this verification were not clearly defined in the subsequent rules, leading to the persistence of these entries and potential risks of fraudulent voting.

Once the draft roll is published, each collector will share printed and soft copies with district-level party functionaries. The draft roll will also be accessible on the District Election Officer's website.

The Election Commission had previously extended the timeline for the Special Intensive Revision in five states and one Union Territory, following requests from the CEOs. Revised schedules were implemented for Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.