Kolkata: An official said that the Election Commission has reported that the names of about 26 lakh voters in the current voter list of West Bengal are not matching with the voter list of 2002. The discrepancy came to light after comparing the state's latest voter list with the lists prepared in different states during the previous SIR between 2002 and 2006, an official said on Wednesday.

According to Election Commission sources, more than six crore counting forms have been digitized till Wednesday afternoon under the ongoing SIR process in West Bengal. "Once digitized, these forms are brought under the mapping process, where they are matched with the previous SIR records. Initial checks reveal that the names of about 26 lakh voters in the state are still not matching with the data from the previous SIR cycle," the official told PTI.

Commission said- this number may increase further

He said that as digitalization progresses, this number may increase further. In the electoral context, "mapping" means cross-checking the recently released voter list with the SIR lists last prepared in 2002.

He said that this year, voter lists of other states have also been included in the mapping work. This step has been taken by the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer to ensure a more comprehensive and accurate scrutiny process. However, the official clarified that mismatch in mapping does not mean that the name will automatically be removed from the final voter list.