In a shocking turn of events that is set to ignite a political storm in poll-bound West Bengal, a staggering 58 lakh names have been removed from the state's draft voter list following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) aimed at eliminating errors and duplication. Of these, 24 lakh are marked as "dead", 19 lakh as "relocated", 12 lakh as "missing", and 1.3 lakh as "duplicate".
The release of the draft list signifies the conclusion of the initial stage of the Special Intensive Revision. Individuals whose names have been wrongly omitted from the draft list can now file objections and seek amendments. Once these objections are resolved, the final list will be released in February of the following year. The announcement of the Assembly elections in Bengal is anticipated after the final list is published. The last SIR in Bengal took place in 2002.
Trinamool MP Saugata Roy described the deletion of 58 lakh names as "injustice," accusing the BJP of conspiring to remove legitimate voters from Bengal’s list. "This is the BJP's conspiracy to remove legitimate voters from Bengal's list. We have set up voter assistance booths and we will help them submit forms to include their names in the voter list," he told NDTV at Parliament.
The release of Bengal’s draft voter list is set to intensify political tensions. Mamata Banerjee has criticized the SIR process, accusing the Centre and Election Commission of removing legitimate voters ahead of the election.
The BJP, however, claims her opposition is aimed at protecting illegal immigrants in her vote bank. The Trinamool Congress has also slammed the Election Commission, citing suicides among Booth Level Officers due to work pressure.