Bengal Elections Update: Over 58 Lakh Names Deleted as Poll Body Releases Bengal SIR Draft List
Ankush Pandey
A total of 58 lakh names have been removed from the state's draft voter list following the Special Intensive Revision to remove duplication and inaccuracies, a fact that is sure to cause a political uproar in West Bengal ahead of the election.
Twenty-four lakh of these 58 lakh names are designated as "dead," 19 lakh as "relocated," 12 lakh as "missing," and 1.3 lakh as "duplicate."
The first stage of the Special Intensive Revision comes to a close with the release of the draft list. It is now possible for anyone whose names were mistakenly left off of the draft list to object and ask for changes.
The final list will be released in February of the following year after these issues have been addressed. Following the release of the final list, Bengal's Assembly elections are anticipated to be announced. In Bengal, SIR was last carried out in 2002.
The political controversy surrounding SIR in Bengal is probably going to get worse if the draft list is made public. Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister and leader of the Trinamool Congress, has criticised the process and charged that the Election Commission and the Centre are using SIR to remove the names of thousands of eligible voters before the election.
Banerjee urged people to take to the streets if their names are removed from the voter list during a rally earlier this month in Krishnanagar, Bengal. "You're going to take away moms' and sisters' rights in the name of SIR? During the election, they would use Delhi police to threaten moms and sisters.
Mothers and sisters, you have the means if your names are removed, don't you? the equipment you use during cooking. I take it you're strong? If your names are removed, you won't allow it to pass, right? "The men will fight behind the women, who will fight in the front," she stated.
