West Bengal Sees 4.3 Lakh Voter Enrollment Applications Since Draft List Publication
The Election Commission of India has reported a significant number of voter enrollment applications in West Bengal. Officials confirmed that approximately 4.3 lakh applications were submitted using Form 6 and Form 6A. These submissions occurred between December 16 and January 15.
Application Submission Deadline Passes
Thursday marked the final day for submitting Form 6, Form 6A, and Form 7. The Election Commission received 38,905 Form 7 applications. These forms request the exclusion of ineligible electors from the voter list.
A senior Election Commission official provided detailed numbers. "Since December 17, we received 4,28,013 Form 6 and Form 6A applications until Wednesday afternoon," the official stated. "We also processed 38,905 Form 7 submissions for deletion following the draft SIR roll publication."
Processing Timeline for Voter Lists
The Election Commission will now work through all submitted forms. Officials plan to complete this process by February 7. They will conduct hearings where necessary during this period.
"If everything proceeds smoothly, applicants who submitted Form 6 and Form 6A will see their names in the final electoral list," the official explained. The commission will publish this final list on February 14.
Pre-Draft List Applications and Historical Context
Before the draft SIR roll publication, the Election Commission received 3,31,075 Form 6 applications in West Bengal. The commission stated these names would join the final electoral roll after obtaining necessary declarations.
Another official compared West Bengal's numbers with another state's performance. "Until Thursday, we received a total of 7,59,088 Form 6 and Form 6A applications in Bengal," the official noted. This figure combines both pre- and post-December 16 submissions. "This total remains far below Bihar's achievement of 21.5 lakh eligible electors added through similar applications."
Long-Term Trends in Voter Applications
Available data reveals interesting patterns in West Bengal's voter application numbers. Form 6 applications have shown a steady decline since the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Although application numbers experienced slight increases during subsequent election years, the overall trend pointed downward. A particularly notable decrease occurred among new-generation voters after the 2021 Assembly polls. These are individuals applying for voter list inclusion for the very first time.
For the year 2024, the Election Commission has already received 14.3 lakh applications for new voters across its operations. This number provides context for West Bengal's specific figures within the broader national landscape of voter enrollment activities.
