Why EC's SIR ignites 'backdoor NRC' fears in West Bengal? Controversy erupts over potential voter disenfranchisement

After completing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, the Election Commission of India announced on October 27 that 12 more states and Union territories will now undertake the exercise, starting November 4. The revision will be conducted in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, with final electoral rolls expected to be published by February 7.

In West Bengal, there is already concern among several political parties and voters that the process may be too complex and could lead to the exclusion of genuine voters, especially those from marginalised and vulnerable communities. They are drawing uneasy parallels with the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC). Observers and civil society groups have, therefore, urged the Election Commission to ensure that the process remains transparent, accessible and inclusive.

This is the first time since 2002 that West Bengal will undergo SIR, and the Election Commission has confirmed it will follow the same model recently implemented in Bihar. The ruling Trinamool Congress, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, allege that it is an attempt to introduce the NRC “through the backdoor”. “Through the SIR exercise, a veiled attempt is being made to disenfranchise genuine voters and implement NRC through the backdoor,” Mamata posted on X. “We will not tolerate this. We will resist every injustice. And we will stand by the people, now and always.”

Political analyst Udayan Bandhopadhyay, who was involved in the 2002 SIR, shared some of those concerns. “SIR was done in 2002, but it was much simpler. If the Election Commission does not simplify the process, opposition parties will justifiably argue that this is a backdoor NRC process. The documents the EC is demanding are the same as those the Assam government took from people during the NRC exercise. The same 11 documents were listed in the SIR notice for Bihar,” he said. 

The Election Commission, meanwhile, has exempted Assam from the exercise, pointing out that there are separate provisions for citizenship in the state. 

Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal has said that West Bengal will follow the same process as Bihar, even before the Election Commission’s announcement on October 27. Along with Deputy Election Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti, he has met booth-level officers (BLOs) to assess readiness and to reassure them of protection amid concerns about political pressure.

According to the Election Commission, 60 per cent of West Bengal’s voters already appeared in the 2002 SIR roll, which would make verification easier for them. For the remaining 40 per cent—those added after 2002—the process will be more rigorous. The Commission insists that the process is straightforward if the required documents are provided, but experts and activists remain sceptical. 

“If the Election Commission follows the same model it used in Bihar, there will be a lot of problems for poor voters included post-2002, as they may not be able to produce their class 12 certificates and birth certificates. Most of them, like marginalised and tribal voters, do not have land documents. The process needs to be simplified,” said Bandhopadhyay. 

While Aadhaar cards are widely accepted as proof of identity, they do not prove citizenship. “The process of simplification should be provided by the EC and should not be put on the shoulders of the people. They cannot put pressure on voters to prove their citizenship. It is the responsibility of the very authority that is questioning the identity of the person,” he said.

The SIR aims to remove ineligible voters. Voters will be matched with the 2002 list. If no match is found, they may link their names to a parent’s entry on that roll. If that fails, they must provide documentary proof of birth and residence either online or offline. A 30–40 day window will be given before the first draft is published, allowing time for corrections ahead of the final roll in February. The revision will also detect duplicate registrations, particularly among migrant workers and students. BLOs will use digital tools for verification.

West Bengal, with 7.6 crore voters across 294 assembly constituencies, updates its electoral roll annually, removing names of deceased or relocated voters. Yet the scale of this revision has raised questions about why the routine process was insufficient. Partha Pratim Biswas of Jadavpur University said while the SIR was necessary, its current form was problematic. “The way SIR took place in Bihar, they are dictating the numbers and how many voters should be excluded,” he said. 

Biswas argued that the BJP’s framing of the SIR as a response to illegal immigration was politically motivated. “SIR is part of the electoral process. However, this time, it is not only being seen as an electoral process, but also a political one. The EC has failed, especially given that BJP leaders are setting targets by eliminating voters, like 1.2 crore voters in West Bengal. In that case, the question of doubt will be in the minds of people whether the EC is acting neutrally or not. The neutral process is becoming a political process.”

Union Minister Shantanu Thakur, who represents the Bangaon constituency in the Lok Sabha, defended the exercise. “If SIR is implemented properly, the Trinamool government will have no escape route. The names of at least 1.2 crore people who have illegally become voters in West Bengal will be deleted. Rohingyas, infiltrators and ghost voters will not be able to cast their votes any more,” he said, claiming a clean electoral roll would bring “real change” to the state.

Concerns persist over Bangladeshi migrants who fled religious persecution. Bandhopadhyay questioned the BJP’s figures: “How did the BJP find the number of 1.2 crore intruders? This is bad politics. Those who have come after religious persecution will go through the Citizenship (Amendment) Act process, which legalises their citizenship. Not just Muslims, but Hindus, Sikhs and other communities persecuted on religious grounds have been included in the Act. If they have Aadhaar cards, the government needs to identify those people.” He said such determinations were outside the Election Commission’s purview. “Citizenship precedes the eligibility of voters. Citizenship is the task of the ministry of home affairs.”

As a border state, West Bengal remains highly sensitive to infiltration concerns. Complaints during the SIR will be handled by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), who will make final decisions in accordance with the rules of the Election Commission. The Commission has warned that fake documents will invite strict action, though it expects 80 to 90 per cent of cases to be routine.

Biswas said both major parties were using the SIR to advance their narratives. “The BJP is trying to use the Election Commission in the SIR process, and the Trinamool is trying to use SIR to mobilise their minority voters by raising the fear factor. The Trinamool says the Muslim community is being identified as infiltrators and migrants by the BJP. The perception created is that if the BJP comes to power in West Bengal, minorities will be out of the country. SIR is the first step by which they will be eliminated. This is the binary politics that is taking place through SIR.”