ECI publishes draft electoral rolls for five States and UTs

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) published the draft electoral rolls of five States and Union Territories as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, including West Bengal, which is due to go to the Assembly polls next year.

More than 58 lakh names have been removed from the existing voter lists in West Bengal, nearly 42 lakh in Rajasthan, 10 lakh in Goa, a little more than a lakh in Puducherry and nearly 1500 in Lakshwadweep.

Unlike the SIR exercise in Bihar, voters were not required to submit any of the 11 indicative documents to be included in the draft list under this phase, announced on October 27. Thus, the names of all voters who have submitted the Enumeration Form would be in the draft list.

ECI sources said that notices would be issued to voters whose names are in the draft list in case of any doubt, and they can be asked to produce documents. The draft list also includes names of voters who could not be mapped in the 2002-2003 list when the SIR was conducted, as well as those who might have been wrongly matched.

“Verification of each case will start now,” the sources told The Hindu.

In West Bengal, 7.08 crore (92.4 %) voters—out of 7.6 crore on the electoral rolls as of October 2025, before the SIR was announced—have submitted the Enumeration Forms and, as a result, have been included in the draft list. Of the names deleted, 24.16 lakh (3.15 %) were dead, 32.65 lakh (4.26 %) were found to have shifted or were absent, and 1.38 lakh (0.18 %) were found enrolled at multiple places.

In Rajasthan, of 5.46 crore voters in the existing list, 5.04 crore (92.34%) have been included in the draft list. Of the names deleted, 8.76 lakh (0.63%) were deceased voters, 29.6 lakh (5.43%) belonged to those who had shifted or were absent, and 3.44 lakh (0.63 %) were found enrolled at multiple places.

In Goa, 10.84lakh (91.56%), of 11.85lakh names, are in the draft list. Of the names removed, 25,574 (2.16 %) were deceased, 72,471 (6.12 %) were found shifted or absent, and 1,997 (0.17%) had enrolled at multiple places.

In the Union Territory of Puducherry, of the existing 10.21 lakh names, 9.18 lakh (89.87%) are in the draft list. Of the names deleted, 20,798 were deceased, 80,645 were found shifted or absent, and 2,024 were enrolled at multiple places.

Lakshadweep, the other Union Territory, has 56,384 (97.53%) names in the draft list, of the existing 57,813 voters. Of those left out, 705 were dead, 252 were found shifted/absent and 472 belonged to those who had enrolled at multiple places are 472.

The ECI said that the draft rolls, along with a detailed, booth-wise list of deleted voters and reasons for deletion, have been made available on the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) website, the Election Commission’s voter portal and the ECINET application.

The poll body said that if a voter does not find his or her name in the draft voter list, then he or she must fill Form 6 and submit it along with the requisite documents.

During the claims and objections period from December 16, 2025, to January 15, 2026, any existing or prospective elector may file claims or objections for inclusion of eligible electors or deletion of ineligible names. The verification phase will end on February 7. The final rolls will be published on February 14.

The ECI had announced SIR 2.0 in 12 states and Union Territories. But the exercise had to be postponed repeatedly, mainly due to work-related pressure on Booth Level Officers to complete the enumeration phase. Many have allegedly committed suicide or have wanted to quit due to the pressure.