West Bengal Phase 1 Elections Witness Sharp 9.4% Decline in Voter Count
The electoral landscape for the first phase of the West Bengal assembly elections has undergone a substantial transformation, with the voter count in the 152 constituencies set to go to polls registering a significant drop. According to the latest data, the total number of electors now stands at 3,60,77,171, which is a staggering 37 lakh less than the pre-Special Intensive Revision (SIR) voter list of 3,98,14,801. This represents a notable 9.4% reduction in the electorate base for these crucial constituencies.
Detailed Breakdown of Voter Deletions and Final Count
The process leading to this decline involved multiple stages of scrutiny and adjudication. Initially, in the draft electoral roll published on December 16, a total of 24,03,881 names were removed due to ASDD (Absent, Shifted, Dead, or Duplicate) voters. Following this, during the judicial adjudication process, an additional 14,28,771 elector names were deleted. A few thousand more names were excised in the final list released on February 28, culminating in the current figure.
A senior Election Commission official provided clarity on the process, stating, "The number of electors in these 152 assembly constituencies decreased by 24 lakh in the draft roll. During the hearing process, several thousand more names were removed. Subsequently, 14 lakh names marked 'under adjudication' were deleted by judicial officers. After accounting for Form-6 additions, the final voters' count now exceeds 3.6 crore."
District-Wise Analysis of Electorate Changes
The impact of the SIR exercise varied significantly across the 16 districts going to polls on April 23. Murshidabad experienced the highest loss, with over 7 lakh electors removed, followed by Malda, which saw a reduction of over 4 lakh voters. North Dinajpur and West Burdwan both lost approximately 3.5 lakh voters each.
Despite these deletions, Murshidabad retains the highest number of electors post-SIR at 50,26,213. East Midnapore follows with 41,60,154 voters, and West Midnapore with 37,70,794. In contrast, Kalimpong has the smallest electorate at just 2,01,619.
Regional Distribution of Voters in Phase 1
In North Bengal, the districts collectively account for a substantial portion of the electorate. Cooch Behar leads this region with 22,63,771 electors, while Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling report 17,19,798 and 11,10,425 voters, respectively. Alipurduar contributes 11,64,506 electors to the pool.
Moving to South Bengal, districts such as Bankura (29,19,415 voters), Birbhum (26,91,386 voters), and Purulia (22,52,807 voters) make significant contributions to the overall electoral count. Other districts included in this phase are Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Birbhum, Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, and West Burdwan.
Gender Distribution and Final Electoral Lock
Official figures reveal that the total voter count of 3,60,77,171 includes 1,84,99,496 male electors, 1,75,77,210 female electors, and 465 third gender electors. With the electoral rolls now frozen, no further additions or deletions are permitted, effectively locking in the electorate base for the first phase of polling.
This freeze has raised questions regarding the status of voters whose applications might be approved by the tribunal at a later date. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear this matter on Monday, adding a layer of legal scrutiny to the electoral process.
