As many as 91 lakh names of voters have been deleted from the electoral rolls in West Bengal ahead of the Special Intensive Revision exercise in the state, the data released by the Election Commission reveals.
According to the data released by the poll body on February 28, as many as 63.66 lakh voters, which accounts for 8.3 percent of the state’s total electorate, had been removed ever since the SIR process started in last year’s November.
Furthermore, the revised 7.04 crore, which included over 60.06 lakh electors, are in the “under adjudication” category. Out of these, over 27.16 lakh voters were subsequently deleted following scrutiny by judicial officers; in the meantime, more than 32.68 lakh were retained and included in the final rolls.
Resulting in the final deletions, from the beginning of the SIR process to 90.83 lakh, the EC data highlights.
“The revision exercise has been carried out in a phased and transparent manner. District-wise data has now been placed in the public domain to ensure complete accountability,” a senior EC official said.
Adding to that, out of this, 60.06 lakh voters are under adjudication, 59.84 lakh data has been published, and 22,163 cases have been resolved, but they are waiting for e-signatures.
“Once the pending procedural formalities, including e-signatures, are completed, there may be marginal changes in both deletion and inclusion figures,” the official said.
“Any further inclusion at this stage will be subject to legal provisions and directions, if any, from competent authorities,” the official said.
“There will be no further inclusion in the electoral roll at this stage. The list stands frozen as per law following the last date of nomination for the first phase,” a senior Election Commission official told PTI.
Amidst all this, the publication of the final supplementary list, the electoral roll for the first phase of West Bengal assembly elections, has been “frozen” on Monday, adhering to the prescribed norms, the official said.
The West Bengal assembly election is set to be held in two phases, April 23 and April 29. Out of the state’s 294 seats, 152 will go to polls on April 23, and the remaining 142 seats will vote on April 29.
Election officials have also confirmed that no further additions to the voter list will be conducted now. If any changes occur, it will depend on legal provisions or directions from competent authorities, which include the Supreme Court, scheduled to hear the matter on April 13.
