Nearly 91 lakh voters have been removed from West Bengal’s voter lists as part of the special intensive revision of the state’s electoral rolls ahead of the Assembly polls, The Statesman reported on Tuesday citing data from the Election Commission.
The deletions represent nearly 11.9% of the state’s electorate of 7.6 crore that existed before the voter roll revision process began.
The exercise concluded after judicial officers adjudicated about 60 lakh claims and objections. However, voters who were removed during the adjudication process can appeal in 19 tribunals set up for the purpose.
Details of 59.8 lakh cases under adjudication have been finalised and signed by judicial officers, the newspaper quoted the chief electoral officer’s office as saying.
Among them, more than 27 lakh voters were found “excludable” and have been removed from the voter lists. This brought the total deletions as part of the exercise in the state to 90.8 lakh, an unidentified officer told the newspaper.
“The process of putting e-signatures of the judicial officers is yet to be completed for 22,163 cases,” the official said. “Once that is completed, some more names might be added to the current deletion figure.”
District-wise, the highest number of deletions during the adjudications phase had taken place in Muslim-dominated Murshidabad, with 4.5 lakh names having been struck off the list. It is followed by North 24 Parganas with 3.2 lakh names removed and Malda with 2.3 lakh.
This came days ahead of the Assembly elections in West Bengal, which will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29. The votes will be counted on May 4.
West Bengal is also among the 12 states and Union Territories where the special intensive revision of the electoral roll was undertaken.
On February 28, the Election Commission published the final electoral roll for West Bengal, showing that more than 61 lakh voters had been excluded. However, the process continued with about 60 lakh “doubtful and pending” cases remaining under adjudication based on their objections to their exclusions from the draft rolls published in December.
On February 20, the Supreme Court ordered that judicial officers of the rank of district judge or additional district judge be appointed to help complete the revision exercise in the state.
On March 10, the top court ordered the formation of appellate tribunals composed of former High Court chief justices and judges to hear appeals against exclusions. A person whose claim for inclusion in the electoral rolls has been rejected by a judicial officer can approach the tribunal.
Also read: Millions of Bengalis may lose their vote. Not over citizenship but due to clerical errors
|
