EC steps up internal monitoring amid backlash over SIR in West Bengal

Faced with mounting criticism and operational pressure over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in West Bengal, the Election Commission has moved to strengthen internal monitoring of its officials.

Over the past few weeks, the poll panel has issued stern warnings to micro-observers, Booth Level Officers (BLOs), Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) and even District Election Officers (DEOs), citing lapses in verification, documentation and supervision.

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The EC has openly expressed unhappiness with some of its observers, issuing formal warnings over perceived lapses in field monitoring, highlighting that even senior officials within its own ranks are not immune from scrutiny.

More observers, deeper scrutiny

Four additional senior roll observers, all IAS officers, have been deployed to the state, further enhancing the existing network of observers, reflecting the commission’s concerns about the outcome of the process so far.

According to official figures, more than 3,500 micro-observers have already been deployed across the state to oversee the SIR process in the hearing phase. All of them are drawn from central government departments, central public sector undertakings or public sector banks rather than the state bureaucracy.

The wariness stems from growing criticism of the SIR exercise’s progress, which aims to clear and update voter rolls ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. The exercise has triggered intense political row as notices were sent even to eminent figures in the state, including Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, requiring them to prove their voter eligibility.

Non-BJP parties, civil society groups and even officials within the election administration have questioned whether the revision is being driven by an over-reliance on software-generated “logical discrepancies.”

Concerns grow over algorithms

At the core of the controversy is the Election Commission’s use of data-matching algorithms to flag inconsistencies in voter records, including spelling errors, age or gender mismatches, and failures in mapping current records to the 2002 electoral rolls.

Writing to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar for the fifth time on Monday (January 12), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the use of AI to scan and translate old records is causing serious errors in names, age, gender, and relationships, resulting in legitimate voters being flagged for “logical discrepancies.”

The concern over the use of AI deepened after an AERO in Howrah, Mousam Sarkar, resigned from his post, publicly questioning the logic of the discrepancies identified by the SIR software and warning that the process could unreasonably affect poor and marginalised voters. Sarkar claimed that the discrepancies flagged by the system were often meaningless and risked disenfranchisement on a large scale.

The Election Commission swiftly signalled possible disciplinary action against him for airing such concerns publicly. The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, responded on social media suggesting that his conduct violated service norms, reinforcing the message that dissent from within would not be tolerated.

Checks intensify after backlash

While the poll panel has not officially acknowledged over-reliance on software, its subsequent actions suggest a tacit recognition of the problem.

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Initially, nearly 1.36 crore voters in the state were flagged by the software for “logical discrepancies.” After successive rounds of human scrutiny, EC sources say the number has been reduced to around 86 lakh and could fall further as re-verification continues, with human supervision having been significantly intensified.

BLOs have been instructed that no notice should be issued to a voter without prior document review and field-level verification. A new rule also makes them responsible for certifying the accuracy of voter name mappings through an “Upload BLO Letter” feature, which mandates a signed undertaking confirming the correctness of voter data even in cases of minor discrepancies such as spelling differences.

The move further indicates how the EC is burdening its own machinery with heightened scrutiny. Many BLOs privately say the certification shifts the burden of systemic data flaws onto frontline staff.

Pressure has also been ratcheted up at the district level. DEOs, who double as district magistrates, have been instructed to carry out exhaustive scrutiny and super-checking of draft rolls, including verification against the 2002 electoral roll.

DEOs under closer watch

Any error detected by observers will be treated as a lapse in supervision by the DEO concerned. Four newly deputed roll observers have been empowered to sit at the CEO’s office or conduct random district inspections, with the authority to flag serious inconsistencies.

To enforce compliance, DEOs have been asked to submit daily progress reports to the CEO’s office by 8 pm in a prescribed format, detailing constituency-wise verification figures, mapping status and the nature of discrepancies found.

Special district teams have been formed under DEO’s supervision to re-verify enumeration forms. At the same time, the commission has also sought to soften the exercise’s impact on voters by repeatedly tweaking rules.

Tea garden and cinchona plantation employment records have been approved as valid documents for SIR verification in seven tea growing districts in North Bengal.

Relief measures, lingering concerns

In addition, several categories of voters, including migrant workers employed outside the state, government and PSU staff posted elsewhere, students, NRIs and patients undergoing treatment away from home, have been exempted from appearing in person at hearings. Family members are now permitted to represent them with proof of relationship and identity, sparing many the logistical and financial burden of returning to the state.

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The commission has also clarified that voters whose names existed in the 2002 roll but could not be mapped due to technical reasons should not automatically be issued hearing notices. Instead, BLOs are required to conduct home visits, verify documents and re-upload details. Only cases flagged under “progeny mapping” are to be compulsorily called for hearings.

These changes have provided relief to many voters but they also reinforce the impression that the SIR process is being constantly tweaked as issues arise, rather than following a carefully planned procedure.

Heightened internal monitoring and frequent rule changes suggest the EC is seeking to contain the fallout from underestimating the political and social sensitivities surrounding large-scale voter roll revisions in West Bengal.