On Monday, the Congress party staged a protest march in Kolkata, starting from Bankshall Court and proceeding to the West Bengal State Election Commission’s office. The demonstration was aimed at addressing concerns regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the alleged removal of genuine voters’ names from the lists.

During the protest, Congress leader Ashutosh Chatterjee questioned the silence of the Election Commission (EC) concerning these claims and insisted on accountability through a public audit. Chatterjee announced that protests would continue until a satisfactory response was received, confirming plans for a further dharna on March 6.

Concerns Raised by Congress Leadership

Chatterjee queried the reasoning behind the removal of voters from the list, calling for the EC to provide clarity on the issue. He stated, “What is the reason behind the removal of genuine voters’ names today? The Election Commission is silent. The full reason for this must be audited and made public. Otherwise, there will be strong protests”.

Meanwhile, Subhankar Sarkar, the West Bengal Congress president, expressed his discontent with the EC’s actions and urged the judiciary to guarantee that no legitimate voters are eliminated from the electoral rolls. He criticized the process, questioning the rationale for excluding individuals who should be eligible to vote and challenged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee regarding the revision’s execution despite her opposition to it.

Chief Minister’s Stance and Future Protests

Sarkar pointed out the contradictions in Banerjee’s earlier statements that indicated her disapproval of the SIR process, emphasizing, “Mamata Banerjee herself said that she would not allow SIR, then why did it happen? Why didn’t she call an all-party meeting?”

This criticism comes as similar sentiments were echoed by Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee, who announced that Mamata Banerjee would also hold a dharna at the Metro Channel (Esplanade) on March 6 at 2:00 PM. Abhishek Banerjee highlighted serious inconsistencies within the final SIR list, asserting that numerous names had been erroneously marked as deceased when said individuals were, in fact, alive.

Allegations of Discrepancies in Voter Lists

Abhishek Banerjee expressed concerns that the adjustments to the voter rolls were made to meet predetermined quotas, leading to the unjust removal of many from the electoral list. He stated, “I have received calls from 243 people since yesterday who claim to be alive but are listed as dead on this SIR list.”

He elaborated on the distress caused to ordinary citizens by these inaccuracies, emphasizing that the forced deletions were systematic, contributing to what he described as harassment of vulnerable communities. The situation continues to spark public interest as various political leaders engage in protests to advocate for voter rights and transparency in the electoral process.

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