The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal is nearing completion after a rigorous four-month exercise, but the status of a significant number of voters remains uncertain. According to the final list, more than 63 lakh names — nearly 9 per cent of the electorate — have been deleted, while over 60 lakh voters (about 8.5 per cent) have been placed “under adjudication.”
The category of voters under adjudication includes two state ministers, several MLAs from the ruling All India Trinamool Congress, and the state’s Chief Secretary, Nandini Chakraborty.
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Among those listed under adjudication is state minister Ghulam Rabbani, who has previously contested four elections in the state and served two terms as a minister. Reacting to the development, Rabbani stated that he has been a regular voter for decades and questioned the decision to place his voter ID under review.
In a post on X, Rabbani shared a portion of the final SIR list and alleged that the move was unprecedented. He noted that he had contested West Bengal Assembly elections in 2009, 2011, 2016 and 2021, and had been voting in the state since completing his education at Aligarh Muslim University in the early 1990s. He also emphasized that his family has a long history of Indian citizenship.
The revision exercise conducted by the Election Commission of India has sparked concern among political leaders, particularly over the large number of deletions and the inclusion of prominent public figures in the adjudication category. Officials are expected to review the pending cases before the electoral rolls are finalised.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
