This time, the national poll body wants the final voters’ list to be decisive and error-free. This stage involves the filing of claims and objections, along with the notice period for issuing, hearing, verifying and disposing of applications, all of which will be carried out simultaneously by the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs).

Dr Gupta, along with 12 other IAS officers assigned earlier by the Commission, met the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar at ECI office in Delhi today and updated him about the progress of the SIR in the state.

“Almost all opposition parties have asked for micro observers to ensure there is no manipulation at this stage,” sources in the CEO’s office said, adding that the Commission had “found merit” in these concerns.

Once the second stage is completed, the final version of the electoral roll will be published on 14 February. The announcement of dates for the West Bengal Assembly elections is expected shortly afterwards.

Sources in the ECI said that around 55 lakh dead, duplicate, permanently shifted and absent voters have been deleted so far till Saturday. The Commission has identified around 24 lakh dead out the 55 lakh deleted voters.

The national poll panel has also instructed electoral officers to intensify “progeny” mapping, after irregularities were found in parental details in the current voter rolls as of 27 October. The exercise compares parental information on the latest list with records from 2002, when the last SIR was conducted in the state.