Kolkata, Dec 18 (NationPress) The Election Commission of India (ECI) will commence the distribution of notices regarding the hearing of claims and objections related to the draft voters’ list in West Bengal starting Thursday. This action signifies the conclusion of the initial phase of the three-part Special Intensive Exercise (SIR), which began on November 4.

The draft voters' list was released on Tuesday. According to sources from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), the ECI will initially focus on sending notices to “unmapped” voters. This term refers to voters who lack any connection to the 2002 voters' list, either through “self-mapping” or “progeny mapping.”

“Self-mapping voters” are those whose names appear in both the current voters' list as of October 2025 and the list from 2002, the last time the ISR was conducted in West Bengal.

Conversely, “progeny mapping voters” are those whose parents’ names were included in the 2002 list.

The total number of unmapped voters in West Bengal is currently at 30,59,273.

“Notices for hearings will be issued, granting recipients a seven-day period to attend. Details regarding the dates, times, and locations for these hearings will be included in the notices,” disclosed an insider from the CEO's office.

This figure of 30,59,273 is in addition to 58,20,899 voters who were excluded from the previous list as of October 2025. This group consists of deceased voters, relocated voters, untraceable voters, duplicate voters, and those deemed suitable for exclusion for various reasons.

Moreover, the ECI has identified over 1.60 crore voters exhibiting unusual family-tree data, despite their links to the 2002 list through either “self-mapping” or “progeny mapping.” Many of these voters, with questionable family-tree information, will also be called for hearings to clarify these discrepancies.

Voters with unusual family data include those whose parents’ names match in the latest voters’ list, individuals who became fathers at 15 years of age or younger, and those who became grandfathers at the age of 40 or younger.

One notable case involves a voter who reportedly became a father of two sons at the mere age of five.

The final voters' list for West Bengal is scheduled for release on February 14 next year. Following this, the ECI will announce the polling dates for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.