21 Lakh Dead Voters Found: Inside Bengal's Massive Electoral Cleanup

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has identified a staggering 21 lakh (2.1 million) deceased voters in West Bengal's electoral rolls as of December 1, 2025. The discovery comes during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), a massive door-to-door verification exercise. North 24 Parganas, a politically sensitive border district, accounts for the highest number of these "ghost voters," with 2.75 lakh names flagged for deletion. The revelation arrives just days before the publication of the draft electoral roll on December 9, intensifying the political war between the BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).

The Context (How We Got Here)

The SIR, launched on November 4, is the first comprehensive ground-level verification in Bengal in over two decades. It gained urgency after BJP Leader of Opposition [Suvendu Adhikari] submitted a list of 13 lakh alleged "fake voters" to the Chief Electoral Officer on November 11, claiming systematic infiltration and duplication. The current figure of 21 lakh dead voters suggests the rot in the rolls runs deeper than even the opposition estimated. Initial findings also revealed that 50% of voters listed as over 100 years old were, in fact, deceased.

The Key Players (Who & So What)

Suvendu Adhikari (BJP): The accuser. His claims of "fake voters" and "Bangladeshi infiltrators" have been partially vindicated by the sheer scale of the ECI's findings. He argues these names were kept alive to rig elections.
Manoj Kumar Agarwal (Chief Electoral Officer): The administrator. Caught in the crossfire, he oversees the operational cleanup. He has indicated that total deletions—including shifted and duplicate voters—could reach 35 lakh by the end of the process.
Mamata Banerjee (CM, TMC): The skeptic. While not denying the need for a clean roll, she has framed the aggressive deletion drive as a potential tool for disenfranchisement, warning against targeting specific communities.

The BIGSTORY Reframe

While the headlines focus on the "21 Lakh" number, the deeper story is the "Digital Death Trap." This massive data cleanup is being executed by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) under crushing pressure. Armed with the BLO App, these low-level workers are racing against a condensed timeline to digitize millions of records. The tragic irony is that while "dead" voters are being removed, the living workers tasked with finding them are reportedly collapsing under the strain of the ECI's digital mandate. The 90% digitization success rate celebrated by the ECI hides a human cost that is largely unreported.

The Implications (Why This Changes Things)

The removal of over 2 million names from the voter list will fundamentally alter the electoral math of West Bengal. In tight constituencies, especially in border districts like North 24 Parganas, the deletion of "ghost voters" could swing outcomes. It also sets a precedent for using technology-driven, intensive revisions to audit voter rolls across India, potentially exposing similar discrepancies in other states.

The Closing Question (Now, Think About This)

If 21 lakh dead people were "voting" or listed on the rolls for years, how many past election results were decided by ghosts?

FAQs

How many dead voters were found in West Bengal in 2025?

As of December 1, 2025, the Election Commission has identified over 21 lakh (2.1 million) deceased voters in West Bengal's electoral rolls.

Which district in Bengal has the most dead voters?

North 24 Parganas district has the highest number of identified deceased voters, with approximately 2.75 lakh names flagged for deletion.

What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bengal?

The SIR is a comprehensive, door-to-door verification drive launched by the Election Commission on November 4, 2025, to clean up the electoral rolls. It is the first such exercise in West Bengal since 2002.

Why is Suvendu Adhikari protesting against the Bengal CEO?

Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition, alleges that the ruling TMC administration is pressuring officials to retain fake and dead voters on the lists to manipulate elections. He submitted a list of 13 lakh "dubious" voters to the CEO.

What percentage of voters over 100 years old were found to be dead?

Initial findings from the ECI indicate that nearly 50% of the voters listed as being over 100 years old were found to be deceased upon verification.

Sources

Brajesh Mishra Associate Editor

Brajesh Mishra is an Associate Editor at BIGSTORY NETWORK, specializing in daily news from India with a keen focus on AI, technology, and the automobile sector. He brings sharp editorial judgment and a passion for delivering accurate, engaging, and timely stories to a diverse audience.