Bengal on high alert as EC to release first supplementary voter list today

The supplementary list will have the names of electors who were put “under adjudication” in the final electoral rolls that were released on February 28, following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.

Names of more than 60 lakh voters were put under scrutiny by the Election Commission during the SIR exercise. The supplementary list is expected to bring clarity about the status of a large number of such voters. It has been learnt that nearly 27 lakh cases have been decided by a team of judicial officers drafted from West Bengal and neighbouring states till Friday.

The EC official said preparations are underway to display the updated voter list across nearly 80,000 polling booths in the state once it is finalised by Monday.

Meanwhile, as per the direction of the Supreme Court, the Election Commission has established 19 district-level appellate tribunals in Bengal to resolve disputes arising from the SIR supplementary list.

T S Sivagnanam, former Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, has been appointed as the appellate authority for the high-stakes districts of Kolkata and North 24 Parganas.

Other retired judges have been deputed to handle appeals regarding the inclusion or deletion of names in the remaining districts as well.

The delay in finalising the list has drawn sharp criticism from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who alleged that eligible voters were facing unnecessary harassment.

On Sunday, senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari asked everyone not to pay heed to any kind of provocation. “I would appeal to everyone to maintain peace in West Bengal… if you feel that people appointed by the judiciary have done injustice, or that your name should have appeared in the supplementary roll… it is for that very reason the Honorable Supreme Court has established a Tribunal. Apply there. You will surely receive justice,” said the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.

However, senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury exhorted people to come out on the streets if their names were “unjustly not included” in the electoral roll.

Accusing the main Opposition party, the BJP, of specifically targeting people who did not vote for them, the Congress leader said, “The BJP leaders have come here specifically targeting this… They know who has been excluded (from the electoral roll) and who hasn’t been. My point is that everyone whose name has been dropped should come out on the streets. We are here for all of them.”

The Congress leader also slammed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for playing politics over it. “The chief minister of Bengal cannot play politics by wailing. The state government must step forward first. Go to the Supreme Court tomorrow against the deletions,” Chowdhury added.

Meanwhile, senior police officials began visiting police stations across the state from Sunday as the Election Commission stepped up monitoring of poll preparedness and security arrangements.

During these visits, officers in charge of police stations are being briefed on measures needed to be taken for holding free and fair polling.

“Senior officers have been instructed to conduct ground-level assessments and guide local police units to ensure a peaceful, free and fair electoral process,” an official from the state Chief Electoral Officer’s office said.

Police authorities are also expected to send out a strong message on maintaining an environment free of fear and violence.

Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Nand said, “Instructions are being given to all ranks and officers of Kolkata Police that these six points must be kept in mind while performing election duty. The EC aims at no inducement, no violence, no threats, no booth jamming and no source jamming. Source jamming means the catchment area, the area from which people come to vote, should not be obstructed. The idea is that everyone must go to the polling station and cast their vote without any fear or obstruction. This message should go down the line to every person involved in election duty and that is being done.”

Polling for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly is slated on April 23 and 29, while the counting of votes will be held on May 4.

–With PTI