West Bengal Records 3.8 Lakh Voter Applications Since Draft List Publication
The Election Commission of India has reported significant activity in West Bengal's voter enrollment process. Since the publication of the draft electoral roll on December 16, officials have received approximately 3.8 lakh applications for voter inclusion.
These applications, submitted through Form 6 and Form 6A, represent citizens seeking to add their names to the voter list. The commission also processed close to 39,000 Form 7 applications during the same period. These forms request the deletion of ineligible electors from the rolls.
Deadline Passes with Steady Submission Numbers
Thursday marked the final day for submitting these crucial voter registration forms. A senior Election Commission official provided detailed figures about the ongoing process.
"We received 3,78,163 Form 6 and 6A applications between December 17 and Wednesday afternoon," the official stated. "Additionally, we processed 38,865 Form 7 deletion requests following the draft roll publication."
The commission plans to complete hearings on these applications by February 7. If everything proceeds smoothly, applicants who submitted Form 6 and 6A should see their names in the final electoral list. The commission will publish this final list on February 14.
Pre-Draft Applications Add to Total Figures
Before the draft roll publication, West Bengal already had 3,31,075 Form 6 applications pending. The Election Commission confirmed these names would join the final electoral roll after obtaining necessary declarations.
Combining both pre and post-December 16 applications, West Bengal has received a total of 7,09,238 Form 6 and 6A submissions. Despite this substantial number, officials believe the final count will fall short of Bihar's performance.
"With just one day remaining, we expect the final figure to remain significantly below Bihar's mark," another commission official commented.
Comparative Analysis with Bihar's Enrollment
Earlier in Bihar, the Election Commission added 21.5 lakh eligible electors to the final electoral roll. These additions came through Form 6 and 6A applications submitted after Bihar's draft roll publication.
West Bengal's current enrollment numbers show a different trajectory. Commission data reveals a concerning trend in Form 6 applications over the past decade.
The number of these applications has steadily declined since the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Although slight increases occurred in subsequent election years, the overall graph shows a downward movement. Most notably, new-generation voter applications decreased significantly after the 2021 Assembly elections.
Officials Identify Three Potential Reasons for Decline
Election Commission officials have identified several possible explanations for the declining voter applications among new generations.
"A substantial portion of the new generation might simply lack interest in voter enrollment," one official suggested. "Secondly, many Bengali youths studying or working in other states may have registered as voters in those locations."
The official highlighted a third, more fundamental possibility. "Most importantly, West Bengal's birth rate might have fallen significantly. This demographic change could naturally reduce new voter applications. However, we cannot confirm this theory until the official census report becomes available."
The Election Commission continues processing all submitted forms while preparing for the February 14 publication of West Bengal's final electoral roll.
