TMC Agent's Voter Name Mysteriously Moved to Bihar Electoral Roll
In a startling development that has raised eyebrows in political circles, Krishnendu Mukherjee, a 44-year-old booth-level agent for the Trinamool Congress (TMC) from Beliaghata in Kolkata, has discovered that his name was inexplicably deleted from the final electoral roll of West Bengal and simultaneously added to the voter list of Bihar. This bizarre incident has left Mukherjee seeking legal counsel to address what he describes as a suspicious and potentially conspiratorial act.
From Draft to Deletion: A Voter's Ordeal
Mukherjee's ordeal began when his name appeared in the draft electoral roll, only to be placed under adjudication in the final version. Subsequently, in the second supplementary list, his name was completely removed. The situation escalated on Thursday during a party-organized camp where an advocate was assisting deleted voters with filing appeals before the tribunal. When Mukherjee entered his Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number on the Election Commission website, he was met with a perplexing message: "Search your name in the 2003 Bihar electoral roll database." This prompted immediate concern and suspicion.
"Out of the 10 members of my family, only my name was deleted. Not only that, my name was included in the Bihar roll, which I cannot understand. I think this was a conspiracy by the BJP because I am an active Trinamool member," Mukherjee asserted. He noted that his name was previously listed in the 2002 Summary Revision (SIR) roll, adding to the confusion.
No Ties to Bihar: A Family's Long-Standing Residence
Emphasizing his lack of connection to Bihar, Mukherjee stated that his family has resided in Beliaghata for years, with no current members living in the neighboring state. "I have never visited Bihar in my life and have no connection with the state. Then how was my name added to its voter list?" he questioned, highlighting the absurdity of the situation. This discrepancy has fueled his belief that the deletion and addition were deliberate acts aimed at disenfranchising him due to his political affiliations.
Role as a Booth Agent and Procedural Concerns
As BLA-2 in his area throughout the SIR process, Mukherjee played a crucial role in assisting electors with correctly filling out enumeration forms during door-to-door campaigns. "I had clear knowledge of how to fill out enumeration form as I took part in a door-to-door campaign and helped several electors in the area. So I am extremely confident there was no mistake in the form, and my name was there in the draft roll. I was not even called for a hearing, so why was my case sent for judicial screening? They created a situation where I can neither cast my vote nor sit at the booth on polling day," he explained. This procedural oversight has left him unable to exercise his voting rights or fulfill his duties as a TMC agent for booth 196 in ward 34.
Legal and Political Ramifications
Mukherjee expressed deep concern about the challenges he now faces in removing his name from the Bihar voter list and reapplying for inclusion in the West Bengal roll. The incident has drawn attention from local officials, with Alokananda Das, the councillor of the area, commenting, "We need to know the actual reason behind this because an eligible voter has lost his right to vote." This case underscores broader issues of electoral integrity and potential political manipulation, sparking debates over voter list accuracy and fairness in the electoral process.
As Mukherjee pursues legal avenues to resolve this matter, the incident serves as a cautionary tale about the vulnerabilities in voter registration systems and the need for stringent checks to prevent such anomalies. The outcome of his appeal could have significant implications for electoral transparency and the rights of political workers across India.
