Voters line up across Bengal to restore names in electoral rolls

Thousands of voters whose names were deleted from electoral rolls lined up across West Bengal as tribunals began hearings. Around 23 lakh people await decisions, with April 22 set as the deadline to approach tribunals for inclusion before elections

Kolkata: Thousands of people whose names were deleted from electoral rolls queued up across West Bengal from Monday morning to present their cases before judicial officers, as tribunals for the adjudication of appeals began functioning in the state.

Monday is the last day for adjudication for voters in 152 constituencies going to the polls in the first phase.

---

For these voters, tribunals are the final recourse after their initial appeals were rejected during the review process.

An Election Commission (EC) official said while the voter list will be “frozen” by midnight, those left out can still approach the tribunals till April 22.

The fate of around 23 lakh people, whose names were deleted from the voter list following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), will be decided by the tribunals.

At Katwa in Purba Bardhaman, Md Mustafa said he had been waiting outside the BDO office since 4 am and was prepared to stay till late evening.

“My elder brother, uncle and I have our names marked ‘under adjudication’ despite submitting all documents — digital ration card, Aadhaar card, birth certificate, electricity bill and residence proof — in previous SIR hearings,” he said.

Mahinder Singh, a member of the Sikh community, said none of the three brothers in his family had their names on the list.

“Even the names of our two sons are missing despite submitting necessary documents, including passports. We have been waiting since 2 am and will not leave the place till we are satisfied. How can the EC play with our citizenship rights? We have been living in West Bengal for more than 80 years,” he claimed.

In Barasat, in North 24 Parganas district, Bipasha Baidya was standing outside the office of the district magistrate with her child.

“I had submitted my documents four times, and during the last two occasions, the poll official told me everything was alright and my name would be included in the list. However, I am yet to see my name in any of the supplementary lists,” Baidya claimed.

Similar scenes were reported from Canning in South 24 Parganas, where long queues extended beyond the BDO office premises.

Among those waiting were Anwara Bibi from Gosaba and Sufal Naskar from Basanti, both of whom said their names were missing from the rolls.

“Not sure whether I will be able to exercise my right to vote this time. I have been assured by both TMC and CPI(M) workers that they will fight for inclusion of my name in the rolls,” he said.

Personnel of West Bengal Police and central forces were deployed in large numbers around tribunal buildings, while members of different political parties set up camps nearby to assist people in communicating with judicial officers.

Over 23 lakh people have lost their voting rights across 294 constituencies in the state, and their fate hinges on the tribunals.