As West Bengal approaches the finalization of its electoral rolls, the Systematic Information and Revision (SIR) initiative's first phase is nearing completion, with nearly all of the state's 7.6 crore voters having been digitized. However, approximately 2.8 million voters remain unmapped, raising concerns and potentially leading to an Election Commission (EC) hearing.
The SIR process has been marked by the flagging of over 47 lakh names for potential deletion from voter rolls. This provisional figure includes more than 22.45 lakh entries of deceased voters, around 16.53 lakh individuals who have relocated, approximately 6.77 lakh untraceable or suspected "ghost" voters, over 1.07 lakh duplicate records, and about 22,800 names slated for removal due to various other reasons. The Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal has emphasized that this number is tentative.
Adding to the complexities, the EC has ordered inquiries into areas exhibiting "zero self-mapping" with the 2002 SIR data. Specifically, three villages have been identified where none of the current voters were living in the same location in 2002, a situation deemed "almost impossible" by officials. The affected booths are Part 110 in the Dinahata Assembly constituency (Cooch Behar) with 782 electors, Part 48 in the Kultali Assembly constituency (South 24 Parganas) with 768 electors, and Part 53 in the Pandua Assembly constituency (Hooghly) with 668 electors. A senior EC official stated that inquiries have been initiated to investigate this anomaly.
Further scrutiny of voter data revealed significant revisions in the number of polling stations with "zero ineligible voters". Initially, 2,208 such booths were identified, but after detailed reports from district magistrates, this number drastically reduced to 29. This sharp decline raised concerns about the accuracy of the initial data and prompted further verification and review by the commission.
These developments occur against a backdrop of political activity, including protests led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee against the ongoing revision of voter rolls. The Bharatiya Janata Party has also alleged irregularities in the SIR process and welcomed the Election Commission's appointment of electoral roll observers to monitor the exercise in West Bengal.
As the first phase of the Bengal SIR nears completion, the focus remains on addressing the unmapped voters and resolving the discrepancies identified during the digitization process. The Election Commission's scrutiny and potential hearing underscore the importance of ensuring a fair and accurate electoral roll ahead of future elections.
