Will 10 EROs Manage Hearings for Claims/Objections Across Bengal's 294 Assembly Constituencies?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- 10 EROs to oversee hearings for claims and objections.
- Hearings will start post publication of draft voters' list on December 16.
- Transparency aimed through distribution of lists to political parties.
- Final voters' list expected on February 14, 2026.
- Voters with data ambiguities will need to attend hearings.
Kolkata, Dec 13 (NationPress) A total of 10 electoral registration officers (EROs) are set to oversee hearings regarding claims and objections in each of the 294 Assembly constituencies of West Bengal during the second phase of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR). This phase will commence following the release of the draft voters’ list on December 16.
In total, 2,940 EROs will facilitate the hearings for the 294 constituencies. The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has already apprised the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters in New Delhi regarding this requirement, as revealed by sources from the CEO’s office.
As per the latest count on October 27, 2025, the total number of voters stands at 7,66,37,529. The SIR process launched on November 4 will see the publication of the draft voters’ list on December 16, marking the conclusion of the first stage of this three-stage SIR initiative.
Subsequently, the ECI will initiate the second phase of the revision, which primarily involves the filing of claims and objections, alongside the notice phase. The EROs will concurrently manage issuance, hearings, verification, decisions on enumeration forms, and the resolution of claims and objections.
The final voters’ list is scheduled to be published on February 14, 2026.
According to a source from the CEO’s office, it would be erroneous to assume that all voters eligible for inclusion in the draft voters’ list will be exempt from attending the hearings. Voters with qualifying status but facing data discrepancies in progeny mapping will also be required to attend and clarify the ambiguities.
The ECI has opted to distribute separate lists of excludable voters to the booth-level agents (BLAs) of all registered political parties in the state. This decision aims to enhance transparency during the hearing process for claims and objections in the second phase of the SIR.