The Election Commission of India's recently published draft Supplementary Integrated Roll (SIR) for West Bengal has revealed a staggering omission, with the names of over 12 lakh voters marked as 'missing or absent' being left out. The draft, made public on Tuesday, shows a significant purge primarily affecting the state's urban centers, including Kolkata.
Scale of Omissions Across Bengal
These 12 lakh voters form a subset of a larger group of 58.2 lakh electors across the state who have been categorized under the 'Absent, Shifted, Dead/Duplicate' (ASD) tag. The draft roll now contains 7,08,16,621 names out of the total 7,66,37,519 voters recorded in Bengal as of October 27. This indicates a substantial revision process is underway ahead of future elections.
The impact is not evenly distributed. The maximum number of deletions were recorded in South 24 Parganas at 8,16,047, closely followed by North 24 Parganas at 7,92,064. The city of Kolkata itself saw 6,06,764 names struck off the draft list. When considering 25 assembly segments in the city and its fringes, the total number of removed voters reaches approximately 11.5 lakh.
Kolkata Constituencies with Highest Voter Deletions
The Election Commission has specifically identified several Kolkata assemblies as having a high concentration of ASD voters. The list includes:
- Jorasanko
- Chowringhee
- Howrah North
- Kolkata Port
- Ballygunge
- Shyampukur
- Cossipore-Belgachhia
- Beleghata
At the constituency level, Chowringhee led with 74,553 deletions, followed by Shyampukur with 72,900 and Ballygunge with 65,171. In contrast, Baranagar had the lowest number of omitted voters at 31,320.
Breakdown by ASD Category in Key Areas
A detailed look at specific constituencies reveals the composition of the ASD category:
In Jadavpur, the draft roll lists 22,172 deceased voters, 4,789 who have permanently shifted, and 24,217 marked as absent. Dum Dum North recorded 16,466 dead, 8,289 shifted, and 8,431 absent voters. Behala West emerged with the highest count of deceased voters at 23,928, alongside 11,404 shifted and 14,778 absent electors.
Other notable figures include:
- Kasba: 19,377 dead, 12,121 shifted, 23,676 absent.
- Bidhannagar: 16,221 dead, 14,977 shifted, 11,618 absent.
- Tollygunge: 14,272 dead, 9,385 shifted, 10,656 absent.
For permanently shifted voters, Kolkata Port topped the list with 29,011, followed by Beleghata (26,538) and Chowringhee (25,053). In the two Kolkata districts, a total of 39,634 voters were omitted from the draft, with Kolkata North seeing 23,546 deletions and Kolkata South 16,088.
Voter Harassment and Technical Glitches
The process has not been without confusion and distress for some citizens. A notable case is that of Partha Pratim Ray, a physics professor at Jadavpur University and a voter in Kasba. He was shocked to find himself marked as 'untraceable/absent' on the draft roll, while his wife's name remained listed.
"Even my Booth Level Officer is clueless, but she says it may be a technical glitch," Ray stated. "I have been asked to fill Form 6 for inclusion again. This is sheer harassment." His experience highlights potential procedural errors affecting even eligible, resident voters.
Implications and Next Steps for Electors
The publication of the draft roll is a preparatory step in the electoral revision process. Voters whose names have been omitted or incorrectly categorized now have a window to file claims and objections. Individuals like Professor Ray must submit Form 6 for inclusion, while others may need to file forms for corrections.
The scale of the deletions, particularly in key urban assemblies, underscores the challenge of maintaining an accurate and updated electoral roll in a state with significant migration and demographic changes. The final roll, published after addressing all claims, will be a critical document shaping the electoral landscape of West Bengal.
