NEW DELHI: The Election Commission (EC) of India raised alarm over certain "logical discrepancies" in the electoral rolls of West Bengal, stating that many cases defy scientific plausibility. An affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court revealed incredulous findings, including instances where two electors were reported to have over 200 children, while several others laid claim to an unusually high number of offspring.

While the average household size in the country stands at approximately 4.4, as per the National Family Health Survey 2019-2021, the EC identified over 459,000 cases where electors had more than five children, with more than 206,000 linked to individuals claiming excess children. Such figures prompted the Commission to implement stringent measures, summarizing that models of lineage can become bogged down by implausibility when more than six individuals link to one parent.

Furthermore, the EC underscored the improbability of recorded ages, citing cases where a 50-year gap raised concerns over the validity of claims, particularly since fertility rates for women significantly decline after age 45. The Commission's representative, senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, underscored that these apparent irregularities led to notices being issued for necessary verifications, rather than outright disqualification from the electoral process.

The Commission refuted allegations from petitioners, including leaders from the Trinamool Congress, stating that criticisms suggesting new categories appeared aimed at disenfranchising voters were unfounded. They countered that notices would provide opportunities for clarification or further documentation from those flagged as potentially fraudulent. Noteworthy is that in the draft roll published on December 16, 2025, approximately 58 lakh voters were excluded due to several reasons including the absence, death, or shifts in residency. The EC emphasized that these are not to be interpreted as “deletions” but part of a house-to-house survey preceding the draft.

Amidst claims of algorithm failures and targeted disenfranchisement, the EC assured that no centralized software-generated deletions have occurred, emphasizing a methodical verification process to safeguard the integrity of India's electoral framework.