The Election Commission has flagged major discrepancies in Self Identification Record (SIR) forms submitted by voters in West Bengal, raising concerns over the accuracy of electoral data ahead of the publication of draft electoral rolls on December 16.

While the Election Commission extended the deadline for filing SIR forms in several states, the submission window closed on Thursday for West Bengal, Goa, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, and Rajasthan. Draft voter lists for these states are scheduled to be released next week.

According to Election Commission data, discrepancies have been detected in around 1 crore 67 lakh 45,911 SIR forms submitted in West Bengal. Officials have expressed serious doubts over the correctness of information provided by voters and indicated that many may be called for verification hearings.

Large-scale anomalies in parent and age details

The data reveals that:

• Errors have been found in the father’s name of nearly 85 lakh voters.

• Around 13.5 lakh voters have the same name listed for both father and mother.

• About 11.95 lakh voters appear to have become fathers before the age of 15.

• The state has 24.21 lakh voters listed as fathers of six children.

• Nearly 3.29 lakh voters appear to have become grandfathers before the age of 40.

Election Commission officials have raised doubts over age declarations and family details in these cases, calling them statistically improbable.

Door-to-door verification and hearings likely

Sources in the Commission said the information of all voters with discrepancies will be re-verified. Booth-level officers will conduct door-to-door verification, following which affected voters may be summoned for hearings. Electoral roll observers will also play a key role in overseeing the process.

Political reactions spark controversy

The findings have triggered a political row in the state.

BJP spokesperson Debjit Sarkar alleged large-scale manipulation, saying,
“This entire system has been fake for years. First the Left, and then the Trinamool Congress, misled voters to win elections. Genuine voters were kept out, while ghost voters were created to help them stay in power.”

Responding to the allegations, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Tanmoy Ghosh said the responsibility lies with the Election Commission.
“If there are mistakes in names or parental details, it is the Commission’s duty to investigate. This verification process has been underway for a year. Any incorrect entries that come to light will be removed.”

With draft electoral rolls set to be published on December 16, the issue is expected to remain politically sensitive, particularly in the run-up to future elections in the state.