SIR in West Bengal: 1.73 crore enumeration forms distributed in 3 days

Kolkata, Nov 6 (IANS) A total of 1.73 crore enumeration forms have been distributed among the voters in the first three days of the first stage of the three-stage Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in West Bengal, which started on Tuesday.

However, confirmed by an insider from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), the figure of 1.73 crore is what had been recorded by the CEO’s office till 4 p.m. on Thursday, and the final number for the day will be updated later.

As per the records available, a total of 1,11,469 applications for Booth-Level Agents (BLAs), including BLA-1 and BLA-2, have been received by the CEO’s office. Out of the 1,11,469 applications, 1,104,48 are for BLA-2s and 1,021 are for BLA-1s.

A BLA-1 represents his or her political party for an Assembly constituency, while a BLA-2 represents the political party concerned for a polling booth.

As per records, of the total 1,11,469 applications received by the CEO’s office so far, the maximum had been from the BJP at 38,021, which includes 37,700 for the BLA-2s and 321 for BLA-1s.

Trinamool Congress is in the second position with 35,527 BLA applications, which includes 35,364 for BLA-2s and 163 for BLA-1s.

The CPI(M) is in the third position with 29,360 BLA applications, which includes 29,160 for BLA-2s and 200 for BLA-1s.

The Congress had so far filed 7,197 BLA applications, which includes 6,999 for BLA-2s and 198 for BLA-1s.

“All activities relating to SIR are progressing well and as per schedule in West Bengal,” the insider from the CEO’s office said.

Out of the 7,66,37,529 electors of West Bengal in the electoral roll on October 27, 2025, those whose names were already there in the last intensive revision of the electoral roll of the state in 2002 will have to simply include the details in the enumeration forms and submit them.

These voters will not have to submit any other supporting documents to retain their names in the electoral roll. The last SIR in West Bengal was conducted in 2002.

Those voters not having their or their parents’ names in the 2002 list will have to submit any one of the 11 documents specified by the Commission to retain their names in the voter list.

The SIR process is expected to be completed by March next year. The crucial Assembly elections in West Bengal have been scheduled for next year.

--IANS

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