The Election Commission of India's launch of the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, beginning October 28 across 12 states, signals a significant shift from the Bihar exercise notified in June. Unlike Bihar's more targeted approach, this pan-India push—covering over 51 crore voters—intensifies scrutiny on voter documentation, prompting claims of deletions and verifications.

In poll-bound West Bengal, where Assembly elections are due in the first half of 2026, the SIR arrives amid a charged political landscape. Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) has held power for three consecutive terms since 2011, fostering undeniable anti-incumbency over issues like governance lapses and violence. Yet, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) grapples with

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