ECI Appoints Five Special Roll Observers to Bolster West Bengal Voter Roll Revision

Overview

• The new Special Roll Observers are joint secretaries from Defence, Home Affairs, Information & Broadcasting, Economic Affairs and Rural Development, assigned to the Presidency, Medinipur, Burdwan, Malda and Jalpaiguri divisions.
• Twelve previously appointed observers were called to New Delhi on Monday to receive fresh instructions and review oversight plans for the next phase.
• The Commission is considering deploying micro observers for the second stage, which handles claims and objections after the draft roll is published on December 16.
• Digitisation is nearly complete, with more than 5.5 million entries flagged for possible removal, and officials have intensified “progeny” checks after irregularities in parental details were found.
• The Special Intensive Revision began on November 4, the draft list is due on December 16 and the final roll is scheduled for February 14, 2026, with election dates expected to follow.