NEW DELHI: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor questioned the outcome of the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections, suggesting that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls may have played a decisive role in the BJP’s victory in the state.Referring to the SIR exercise, Tharoor alleged that large-scale deletions from voter rolls and delays in adjudicating appeals may have prevented lakhs of legitimate voters from casting their ballots. Watch Shashi Tharoor Raises Questions Over SIR, Claims “91 Lakh Names Were Deleted” In Bengal“In the matter of the SIR, what I have said is a legitimate question to answer. Look at the Bengal case. 91 lakh names were struck off the rolls. Of those, 34 lakh living human beings have appealed, saying that they are around and they are legitimately entitled to vote. The rules have required each case to be adjudicated individually, so only a few hundred were adjudicated before the vote,” he said at the ‘India, That is Bharat’ roundtable during the Stanford India Conference in US.“To this day, there are some 31, 32 lakh people who might be found to have been legitimate voters in the remaining years while adjudication carries on, but they have missed their chance to vote,” he added.Tharoor further pointed to the BJP’s victory margin in Bengal, saying the numbers closely mirrored the unresolved appeals.“And the BJP won Bengal by a margin of 30 lakh votes. Now you tell me, is that entirely fair and democratic? This is the question that I ask. Honestly, I have no problem with deleting spurious, deleted, absent, migrated voters,” he said.The Congress MP also claimed that the voter roll revision may have had a different political impact in Kerala, where he suggested the removal of duplicate entries could have worked against the CPM.“And particularly in Kerala, I suspect the Congress benefited from the deletions because the CPM was long a master of double enrollment, triple enrollment, quadruple enrollment–the same people in four different booths and so on. That used to happen. And so they were eliminated by the SIR, and as you said, in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, there were very few appeals. But in Bengal, there is no doubt that there were 34 lakh appeals. And that’s 34 lakh forms filled by 34 lakh individuals. And of that, only a few hundred have been heard,” Tharoor said.The BJP scripted a historic victory in the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections, winning 207 seats and ending the 15-year rule of Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress in the state. The TMC secured 80 seats. Following the victory, the BJP formed its first government in West Bengal, with Suvendu Adhikari taking oath as chief minister.PollDo you agree with claim by by Shashi Tharoor about the impact of voter roll deletions on voting rights ?Completely agreeDisagreeAbout the AuthorTOI News DeskThe TOI News Desk comprises a dedicated and tireless team of journalists who operate around the clock to deliver the most current and comprehensive news and updates to the readers of The Times of India worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to excellence in journalism, our team is at the forefront of gathering, verifying, and presenting breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insightful reports on a wide range of topics. The TOI News Desk is your trusted source for staying informed and connected to the ever-evolving global landscape, ensuring that our readers are equipped with the latest developments that matter most.”Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosChandranath Rath Murder: 3 Arrested As SIT Probes Interstate Network | Suvendu Adhikari’s AideRahul Gandhi Calls PM Modi’s Austerity Appeal “Proof Of Failure”, Congress Seeks AnswersWhy Congress Still Hasn’t Named Kerala’s Chief Minister Despite Massive VictorySanjeev Arora Sent To ED Custody In ₹157 Crore Money Laundering Case, AAP Alleges Political VendettaShashi Tharoor Raises Questions Over SIR, Claims “91 Lakh Names Were Deleted” In BengalCongress Alleges Rahul Gandhi’s Viral Reel With Vijay Was Blocked, Centre Denies Any Role‘Use Petrol Sparingly’: PM Modi Calls For WFH, Carpooling Amid West Asia WarFormer Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s Anti-BJP Unity Call Rejected By Left, Congress In Bengal TwistWill Vijay Join INDIA Bloc? ‘Secular’ Speech Sparks Fresh Political Speculation | WatchSuspended TMC Leader Riju Dutta Praises Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari For Preventing Post-Poll Violence123PhotostoriesA bowl of pomegranate for breakfast: Why it should be a lifelong habit5 effective ways to help remove termites and save your wooden interiors just in time10 common phrases fathers often use without realising how deeply they affect childrenPersonality test: The lamp you choose reveals the kind of coworker you areInsideTrisha Krishnan’s aesthetically designed home with artistic vibesThe spiritual way to eat: BK Shivani on food, energy, and emotional balancePM Modi urges Indian to reduce cooking oil consumption by 10%: 8 smart kitchen tips for Indian homes6 things emotionally intelligent parents do differently every day5 Most venomous snakes in Australia commonly found near homes and gardensGRWM: Dressing for the heat without overthinking, thanks to kurtis123Hot PicksSBI Q4 resultsThane- Navi Mumbai corridorMaharashtra SSC ResultPune child rape-murder casePerambur election resultIndia-New Zealand FTASugarcane price hikeTop TrendingRCBYesterday Match ResultIPL Points TableUS Iran warTilak VarmaWho is Urvil Patel FatherIPL Orange Cap 2026AIADMK splitPM Modi WFHPBKS vs DC Match Preview

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor questioned the outcome of the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections, suggesting that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls may have played a decisive role in the BJP’s victory in the state.Referring to the SIR exercise, Tharoor alleged that large-scale deletions from voter rolls and delays in adjudicating appeals may have prevented lakhs of legitimate voters from casting their ballots.  Watch Shashi Tharoor Raises Questions Over SIR, Claims “91 Lakh Names Were Deleted” In Bengal“In the matter of the SIR, what I have said is a legitimate question to answer. Look at the Bengal case. 91 lakh names were struck off the rolls. Of those, 34 lakh living human beings have appealed, saying that they are around and they are legitimately entitled to vote. The rules have required each case to be adjudicated individually, so only a few hundred were adjudicated before the vote,” he said at the ‘India, That is Bharat’ roundtable during the Stanford India Conference in US.“To this day, there are some 31, 32 lakh people who might be found to have been legitimate voters in the remaining years while adjudication carries on, but they have missed their chance to vote,” he added.Tharoor further pointed to the BJP’s victory margin in Bengal, saying the numbers closely mirrored the unresolved appeals.“And the BJP won Bengal by a margin of 30 lakh votes. Now you tell me, is that entirely fair and democratic? This is the question that I ask. Honestly, I have no problem with deleting spurious, deleted, absent, migrated voters,” he said.The Congress MP also claimed that the voter roll revision may have had a different political impact in Kerala, where he suggested the removal of duplicate entries could have worked against the CPM.“And particularly in Kerala, I suspect the Congress benefited from the deletions because the CPM was long a master of double enrollment, triple enrollment, quadruple enrollment–the same people in four different booths and so on. That used to happen. And so they were eliminated by the SIR, and as you said, in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, there were very few appeals. But in Bengal, there is no doubt that there were 34 lakh appeals. And that’s 34 lakh forms filled by 34 lakh individuals. And of that, only a few hundred have been heard,” Tharoor said.The BJP scripted a historic victory in the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections, winning 207 seats and ending the 15-year rule of Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress in the state. The TMC secured 80 seats. Following the victory, the BJP formed its first government in West Bengal, with Suvendu Adhikari taking oath as chief minister.PollDo you agree with claim by by  Shashi Tharoor about the impact of voter roll deletions on voting rights ?Completely agreeDisagreeAbout the AuthorTOI News DeskThe TOI News Desk comprises a dedicated and tireless team of journalists who operate around the clock to deliver the most current and comprehensive news and updates to the readers of The Times of India worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to excellence in journalism, our team is at the forefront of gathering, verifying, and presenting breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insightful reports on a wide range of topics. The TOI News Desk is your trusted source for staying informed and connected to the ever-evolving global landscape, ensuring that our readers are equipped with the latest developments that matter most.”Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosChandranath Rath Murder: 3 Arrested As SIT Probes Interstate Network | Suvendu Adhikari’s AideRahul Gandhi Calls PM Modi’s Austerity Appeal “Proof Of Failure”, Congress Seeks AnswersWhy Congress Still Hasn’t Named Kerala’s Chief Minister Despite Massive VictorySanjeev Arora Sent To ED Custody In ₹157 Crore Money Laundering Case, AAP Alleges Political VendettaShashi Tharoor Raises Questions Over SIR, Claims “91 Lakh Names Were Deleted” In BengalCongress Alleges Rahul Gandhi’s Viral Reel With Vijay Was Blocked, Centre Denies Any Role‘Use Petrol Sparingly’: PM Modi Calls For WFH, Carpooling Amid West Asia WarFormer Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s Anti-BJP Unity Call Rejected By Left, Congress In Bengal TwistWill Vijay Join INDIA Bloc? ‘Secular’ Speech Sparks Fresh Political Speculation | WatchSuspended TMC Leader Riju Dutta Praises Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari For Preventing Post-Poll Violence123PhotostoriesA bowl of pomegranate for breakfast: Why it should be a lifelong habit5 effective ways to help remove termites and save your wooden interiors just in time10 common phrases fathers often use without realising how deeply they affect childrenPersonality test: The lamp you choose reveals the kind of coworker you areInsideTrisha Krishnan’s aesthetically designed home with artistic vibesThe spiritual way to eat: BK Shivani on food, energy, and emotional balancePM Modi urges Indian to reduce cooking oil consumption by 10%: 8 smart kitchen tips for Indian homes6 things emotionally intelligent parents do differently every day5 Most venomous snakes in Australia commonly found near homes and gardensGRWM: Dressing for the heat without overthinking, thanks to kurtis123Hot PicksSBI Q4 resultsThane- Navi Mumbai corridorMaharashtra SSC ResultPune child rape-murder casePerambur election resultIndia-New Zealand FTASugarcane price hikeTop TrendingRCBYesterday Match ResultIPL Points TableUS Iran warTilak VarmaWho is Urvil Patel FatherIPL Orange Cap 2026AIADMK splitPM Modi WFHPBKS vs DC Match Preview


Shashi Tharoor Raises Questions Over SIR, Claims “91 Lakh Names Were Deleted” In Bengal

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor questioned the outcome of the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections, suggesting that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls may have played a decisive role in the BJP’s victory in the state.Referring to the SIR exercise, Tharoor alleged that large-scale deletions from voter rolls and delays in adjudicating appeals may have prevented lakhs of legitimate voters from casting their ballots.

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Shashi Tharoor Raises Questions Over SIR, Claims “91 Lakh Names Were Deleted” In Bengal

“In the matter of the SIR, what I have said is a legitimate question to answer. Look at the Bengal case. 91 lakh names were struck off the rolls. Of those, 34 lakh living human beings have appealed, saying that they are around and they are legitimately entitled to vote. The rules have required each case to be adjudicated individually, so only a few hundred were adjudicated before the vote,” he said at the ‘India, That is Bharat’ roundtable during the Stanford India Conference in US.“To this day, there are some 31, 32 lakh people who might be found to have been legitimate voters in the remaining years while adjudication carries on, but they have missed their chance to vote,” he added.Tharoor further pointed to the BJP’s victory margin in Bengal, saying the numbers closely mirrored the unresolved appeals.“And the BJP won Bengal by a margin of 30 lakh votes. Now you tell me, is that entirely fair and democratic? This is the question that I ask. Honestly, I have no problem with deleting spurious, deleted, absent, migrated voters,” he said.The Congress MP also claimed that the voter roll revision may have had a different political impact in Kerala, where he suggested the removal of duplicate entries could have worked against the CPM.“And particularly in Kerala, I suspect the Congress benefited from the deletions because the CPM was long a master of double enrollment, triple enrollment, quadruple enrollment–the same people in four different booths and so on. That used to happen. And so they were eliminated by the SIR, and as you said, in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, there were very few appeals. But in Bengal, there is no doubt that there were 34 lakh appeals. And that’s 34 lakh forms filled by 34 lakh individuals. And of that, only a few hundred have been heard,” Tharoor said.The BJP scripted a historic victory in the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections, winning 207 seats and ending the 15-year rule of Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress in the state. The TMC secured 80 seats. Following the victory, the BJP formed its first government in West Bengal, with Suvendu Adhikari taking oath as chief minister.

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