Kolkata, Dec 17 (NationPress) West Bengal's Governor C.V. Anand Bose stated on Wednesday that the Special Intensive Review (SIR) initiative is effectively reducing the influx of Bangladeshi infiltrators since its implementation in the state.

In an exclusive interview with IANS, he expressed confidence that the SIR initiative will significantly influence the upcoming Assembly elections and will help to "cleanse" the electoral system as the state is experiencing a notable outflow of illegal immigrants.

"Infiltration is a reality that became apparent with the commencement of the SIR process. We are witnessing a movement of illegal migrants from Bengal back to Bangladesh. This situation has been extensively studied. Regarding its impact on the elections, the SIR process will undoubtedly lead to a transformation and help cleanse the system," Bose remarked during the interview.

When prompted about the Centre's claim that the SIR would assist in identifying and removing Bangladeshi infiltrators and its implications for the elections, the Governor acknowledged that while the issue would diminish, it would not be "completely eradicated".

"Following the SIR, I believe the likelihood of Bangladeshi infiltrators influencing the elections has decreased. I’m not suggesting they are entirely gone, but their numbers have certainly diminished," he stated.

The Bengal SIR operation began on December 4 and concluded on December 11, resulting in a notable exodus of illegal Bangladeshis along with significant protests from booth-level officers (BLOs) due to strict deadlines and high work pressure.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has published the draft electoral rolls for the forthcoming elections in West Bengal, following the contentious SIR process, which has identified over 58 lakh voter names slated for removal.

The publication of the draft voter list marks the conclusion of the enumeration phase and the initiation of a more arduous process involving claims, objections, and hearings.

The second phase of the three-part SIR exercise is set to continue until February 2026, with the final voters' list scheduled for release on February 14, 2026, in anticipation of the Bengal Assembly elections.

According to data from the ECI, a total of 58,20,898 voter names have been flagged for deletion, which includes approximately 24,16,852 electors marked as deceased, 19,88,076 voters who have either permanently relocated or migrated, 12,20,038 voters categorized as missing, and 1,38,328 names identified as duplicates, false, or bogus entries. Additionally, another 57,604 names have been recommended for removal due to "other reasons".