KOLKATA: The Election Commission of India (ECI) may introduce an AI-based verification process for the voter list in West Bengal amidst the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.
A panel of ECI representatives arrived in Kolkata on Tuesday to supervise the overall progress of the SIR exercise in West Bengal, one of the most violence-prone states in the country during elections. The dates for the Assembly elections, scheduled for April–May next year, may be announced in February.
According to sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), the AI-based verification technology would help detect cases where the same photograph has been used to enrol multiple voters. Opposition parties allege that this practice is particularly common during the enrolment of migrant workers, with photos of migrants allegedly used to register dead or fake voters. The national poll panel believes that the application of AI could help curb this issue.
However, the use of AI alone is not considered sufficient to ensure transparency in the SIR process. The role of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) remains crucial, as they must thoroughly check every detail, including electors’ photographs, during door-to-door verification, sources said on condition of anonymity.
Around two crore voters have yet to establish links with the 2002 electoral rolls during the ongoing SIR drive, which began on 4 November. The ECI is preparing to conduct hearings and verification for this large number of voters.
“So far, around two crore and forty lakh voters have directly established links with the 2002 electoral rolls, as their names appeared in the post-SIR list prepared that year. It is assumed that another 2.5 crore people will be able to establish their links with the 2002 list if the name of at least one parent features in the rolls prepared after the 2002 SIR,” the sources said. These voters will not be required to undergo any further verification.
“There are 7.66 crore voters in the 2025 electoral rolls in Bengal. We estimate that around two crore voters will need to undergo the verification process to establish their links with the 2002 voter list,” the sources added.
Meanwhile, the UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) has deactivated the Aadhaar numbers of around 34 lakh deceased people in the poll-bound state, triggering controversy. UIDAI officials recently met with the office of state CEO Manoj Agarwal to inform them of the mass deactivation. The revelation has caused embarrassment for the ruling party at a time when the ECI is attempting to ascertain the exact number of dead and bogus voters through the SIR exercise.
Around eight crore enumeration forms have been distributed so far across the state’s 294 Assembly constituencies since the month-long SIR process began on 4 November. In addition to the 34 lakh deceased Aadhaar holders, the ECI has identified a further 13 lakh deceased individuals who did not possess Aadhaar cards.
The ECI has included Aadhaar in the list of indicative documents that may be submitted as proof of identity during the SIR. Opposition parties, particularly the BJP, have been demanding the removal of dead and fake voters from the state’s electoral rolls.