The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, an exercise undertaken by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure accurate and updated voter lists for the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections, has encountered significant challenges and public outcry in its initial two months. Launched on November 4, 2025, the drive aimed to include eligible citizens and remove duplicate, deceased, or shifted voters. However, the process has been widely criticized for widespread confusion, long queues, and numerous logistical 'goof-ups.' The draft electoral rolls, published on December 16, 2025, revealed the deletion of over 58 lakh (5.8 million) names from the voter list. These deletions were attributed to reasons such as voters being deceased (24 lakh), permanently shifted (19 lakh), missing (12 lakh), or duplicate entries (1.3 lakh). Additionally, around 1.36 crore (13.6 million) voters were identified with 'logical discrepancies' in progeny mapping, and 31 lakh were 'unmapped' and called for hearings. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) have vehemently criticized the SIR, accusing the ECI of undermining democracy and making arbitrary and illegal deletions, with some leaders linking the exercise to the contentious National Register of Citizens (NRC). Reports indicate that many elderly and infirm citizens were compelled to travel 20-25 km to attend centralized hearings, leading to immense hardship. Concerns have also been raised about technical glitches in the BLO (Booth Level Officer) app and the incomplete conversion of the 2002 electoral roll data, leading to errors in voter mapping. Furthermore, analysis of deleted data showed a disproportionate number of women removed and unusually high death reports in many polling stations, raising questions of potential gender bias. In response to the mounting criticism, the Election Commission has issued rebuttals to the TMC's allegations, appointed four additional special roll observers for West Bengal to ensure transparency, and announced 160 more hearing centers, particularly in North Bengal, to address accessibility issues. The claims and objections period is ongoing until January 15, 2026, with final electoral rolls slated for publication on February 14, 2026.