On the night of Friday, 27th March, the Election Commission of India released the second supplementary voter list as part of its ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly Election 2026. This updated list is an important step in ensuring that the electoral rolls in the state are accurate and up to date before voting begins. The process is aimed at carefully checking voter records so that only eligible citizens are included in the final list.

According to a report by The Times of India, the newly published list contains nearly 12 lakh names. These names fall into two groups: those that have been restored after verification and those that have been removed following scrutiny. Officials involved in the process have already examined a significant number of cases. Out of the total 60 lakh cases marked for review, around 37 lakh have been settled so far. Earlier, the first supplementary list included about 10 lakh names, indicating the scale and seriousness of this revision exercise.

An official from the Election Commission shared an update on the situation, stating, “We have received 12 lakh names with e-signature and published them. We may publish supplementary lists daily from tomorrow if the Calcutta High Court approves,” highlighting that the process may speed up depending on legal clearance from the Calcutta High Court.

Earlier in the week, on 23rd March, the Commission had released the first supplementary list, which included voters whose cases were under review. However, similar to the latest release, that list did not clearly mention how many names were added or removed. The Commission has already announced that the third supplementary list will be published on 3rd April, continuing the phased release of updated voter records.

As part of the ongoing revision process, a large number of voters have been placed under detailed scrutiny. Judicial officers are actively verifying these cases to ensure fairness and accuracy. The phased release of supplementary lists is designed to carefully filter the electoral roll so that only valid and eligible voters remain registered ahead of the elections.

This development comes amid continued examination of cases involving “doubtful voters,” a category identified during the revision drive. In the most recent SIR findings, it was reported that nearly 58 lakh names were removed from the voter list. These deletions were due to several reasons, including death of voters, migration to other areas, duplication of entries, or cases where individuals could not be traced. As a result, the total number of registered voters has seen a noticeable decline.

Despite these removals, voters still have the opportunity to check their status online. By visiting the official website of the Election Commission and entering details related to their booth and constituency, individuals can confirm whether their names are present on the list.

The West Bengal Assembly, which has 294 seats, will go to polls in two phases scheduled for 23rd and 29th April. The counting of votes will take place on 4th May, marking the conclusion of this crucial electoral process.