The Election Commission (EC) of India has announced that voters in West Bengal whose parental age differences are unusually large, alongside those whose details cannot be traced back to the 2002 electoral rolls, will be summoned for verification as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, PTI reported on Wednesday.

An official from the EC explained that the move aims to ensure accuracy and completeness in the voter rolls. “Voters with discrepancies in their enumeration forms, as well as those with suspicious parental age differences, will be summoned to ensure the rolls are accurate and complete,” the official said. The summoning process will allow voters to clarify inconsistencies in their records before the electoral rolls are finalized.

The hearings are set to begin next week and will form an essential component of the SIR exercise, which is being conducted to uphold the integrity of the electoral process ahead of the upcoming state and national elections. During these hearings, the poll body will verify voter details, enabling those affected to provide explanations or corrections for the anomalies identified.

According to the latest data shared with PTI, 57,52,207 voters in West Bengal have been categorized as uncollectible or untraceable in their enumeration forms. This includes 24,14,750 deceased voters, while over 11,57,000 individuals have shifted to other locations. Additionally, 13,05,627 voters have been listed at more than one location, and more than 11,57,000 forms remain uncollected for various reasons.

In preparation for these hearings, the EC has deployed five Special Roll Observers to oversee the SIR process in the state. The observers arrived in West Bengal on Wednesday and immediately convened a high-level meeting at the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office to review the latest updates regarding enumeration and voter verification.

The Special Roll Observers will begin district tours starting Thursday, during which they will review enumeration data, conduct sample verification, and engage with local political parties. After completing their district visits, the observers will submit their findings and recommendations to the EC to guide the finalization of the voter rolls.

The EC’s focus on parental age discrepancies—specifically age gaps of 15 years or more between parents—has drawn attention for its unusual specificity. Officials said that while the criteria may appear stringent, it is intended to identify potential errors or fraudulent entries in the electoral database. By targeting these anomalies, the Commission aims to reduce instances of duplicate or ineligible voter entries, thereby enhancing the accuracy of the rolls.

The SIR exercise in West Bengal is part of a broader effort by the EC to strengthen electoral integrity across the country. Special attention is being given to voters whose details cannot be matched with historical rolls, a step that addresses long-standing gaps in the voter database and helps prevent discrepancies that could affect upcoming elections.

Political parties in the state have been engaged as stakeholders in the process, and the Special Roll Observers will hold meetings to ensure transparency and fairness. Their reports are expected to inform EC decisions and guide follow-up actions for voter verification.

Through the SIR exercise, the EC intends to provide eligible voters a final opportunity to update, correct, or verify their information. Officials emphasized that the goal is not punitive but rather to ensure every eligible citizen is accurately represented, strengthening both voter confidence and the credibility of the electoral system.

With over 57 lakh voters under scrutiny, the process marks one of the largest and most detailed voter verification exercises conducted in the state in recent years. The emphasis on parental age gaps and untraceable entries reflects the EC’s data-driven approach to maintaining accurate voter lists.

This initiative comes at a critical time as India prepares for the next state and national electoral cycles, reinforcing the EC’s commitment to transparent and credible elections.