ECI Adds Nearly 7 Lakh Voters to Bengal Electoral Roll Ahead of Polls, Including 5 Lakh Form-6 Inclusions

Key Points

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has added nearly seven lakh new voters to West Bengal’s electoral rolls ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, including five lakh Form-6 applicants, election officials announced on 18 April 2026.

According to the declaration, approximately 3.22 lakh of these new voters will participate in the first phase of polling on 23 April, while nearly 3.88 lakh are expected to vote in the second phase on 29 April. With these additions, the total electorate in the state now stands at 6,82,51,008 – which could increase further depending on tribunal decisions on pending cases.

Despite the scale of enrolment, the ECI has not disclosed key demographic details. There is no clarity on how many of the new voters are first-time electors who have recently turned 18, nor has a gender-wise or age-wise breakdown been released. Officials stated that aggregate figures have been shared as per norms, while detailed data is maintained separately and may be disclosed later if required.

Data shows that around 7.09 lakh Form-6 applications were submitted during the rolling enrolment process before close of nominations. Out of these, approximately five lakh applicants were accepted after verification. Earlier, when the final electoral roll was published on 28 February 2026, only 1.88 lakh new voters had been added. By early April 2026, this number had risen sharply to nearly 6.96 lakh, indicating an increase of close to five lakh voters within a month.

District-level trends show that the highest number of additions were recorded in North 24 Parganas, followed by Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, and East Midnapore. North 24 Parganas alone accounted for over 71,000 new voters, while Kolkata saw nearly 44,000 additions.

The sudden rise in voter numbers has led to a political row in the state. The Trinamool Congress had earlier alleged that bulk Form-6 applications have been submitted by the BJP to enrol ‘outsiders’ from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the state. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee describing the process as “voter hijacking,” while TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee claimed that coordinated applications were submitted across constituencies to influence electoral rolls.

See Also: 2026 Bengal Election: 91 Lakh Names Deleted from Electoral Roll, Including 27 Lakh ‘Doubtful’ Voters—SC Says ‘No Problem, Can Vote Next Time’

The BJP rejected these allegations, accusing the ruling party of attempting to discredit the electoral process. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari raised concerns about irregularities in voter lists, while BJP leader Amit Malviya questioned the claims of infiltration.

Responding to the controversy, Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal stated that complaints were being examined and warned of legal action in cases involving false applications. He clarified that Form-6 applications can only be submitted by individuals for themselves and not on behalf of others.

The voter enrolment exercise is taking place alongside the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which began in November 2025. As part of this process, more than 27 lakh names were excluded following judicial adjudication. The revision has also seen a significant overall decline in the voter base. From an earlier 7.66 crore voters, the number dropped to 7.08 crore after the draft roll, and currently stands at 6.82 crore, reflecting a net reduction of over 83 lakh voters.

The process has generated a large volume of objections, with over 60 lakh cases under review. To manage these appeals, 19 tribunals have been set up under the supervision of the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, led by former high court chief justices and judges. Around 700 judicial officers from West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand are overseeing the process.

The Supreme Court has also intervened, directing that voters whose names were deleted can participate in the elections if their appeals are resolved before specified deadlines. For constituencies voting in the first phase, appeals must be cleared by 21 April, while the deadline for the second phase is 27 April. The Court has further instructed the ECI to issue a supplementary electoral roll incorporating such voters.

The Commission has maintained that all additions and deletions are being carried out in accordance with established procedures and verification norms. However, the absence of detailed data on newly added voters, combined with the pace of enrolment and ongoing disputes over deletions, has kept the electoral roll revision process under close scrutiny ahead of polling.

The West Bengal Assembly elections will be held in two phases on 23 April and 29 April 2026, with counting scheduled for 4 May.

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