Voter list: West Bengal’s Update: 27 Lakh Records Settled
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has made a significant impact on the electoral landscape in West Bengal by publishing the first supplementary voter list under the Special Initiative for Registration (SIR) process. This move comes as the ECI has successfully settled 27 lakh pending voter records, processing approximately 2 lakh names daily.
Voters in West Bengal now have the opportunity to appeal online through the ECI Net app or offline at district and sub-divisional offices if they have objections to the newly published list. To facilitate this process, 19 appeal tribunals have been established across 23 districts for individuals whose names have been excluded from the supplementary list.
In a parallel development, the voter list for the upcoming municipal elections in Surat has been made publicly available at 40 designated locations. The complete voters’ list for all 30 wards has been displayed at the Surat Municipal Corporation headquarters, ensuring transparency and accessibility for the electorate.
Voters in Surat are advised to submit applications for corrections or changes at the election and census department at the SMC head office if they identify any errors in the list.
The first supplementary voter list was uploaded on the websites of the ECI and the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) around 11:55 PM, marking a crucial step in the electoral process. As of late afternoon, 29 lakh adjudications have been completed out of the 60 lakh cases currently under judicial review.
According to the final electoral roll published on February 28, the total number of voters in West Bengal stands at 7,04,59,284. This figure reflects a decrease from the earlier draft roll, which included 7,08,16,630 names, with 58,20,899 names deleted during the enumeration phase.
In a related effort to ensure the integrity of the electoral process, the ECI has removed 73 Returning Officers (ROs), most of whom are Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs). This action underscores the commission’s commitment to maintaining a fair and transparent electoral environment.
The SIR exercise in Bengal was initially announced on October 27 last year, when the electorate was recorded at 7,66,37,529. The ongoing efforts to refine the voter list are crucial as the state prepares for future elections.
Details remain unconfirmed regarding the full impact of these changes on voter turnout and engagement in both West Bengal and Surat. As the situation evolves, further developments are anticipated in the coming weeks, particularly as the municipal elections approach.
