Bengal's Voter List Revision Sparks Political Outreach as Parties Address Public Anxiety

Residents of North 24 Parganas district discuss their concerns about Bengal's Special Intensive Revision with local politicians.

Kolkata:

Following multiple suicide incidents in Bengal - reportedly linked to anxiety over the special intensive revision (SIR) of voter lists ahead of next year's Assembly election - Trinamool Congress workers have begun distributing copies of the 2002 electoral roll, which serves as the baseline for the current update.

These electoral documents are being provided to residents of North 24 Parganas district, an area with a significant population of Bangladesh migrants who settled after Partition.

The initiative targets individuals whose names already appear on the voter list, aiming to counter what Trinamool and other BJP opponents describe as potential 'collaboration with the Election Commission to systematically disenfranchise thousands of voters likely to support opposition parties'.

Prabir Saha, Chairman of the Trinamool-administered local civic body, personally participated in the distribution efforts while reassuring citizens that legitimate voters would not face issues.

According to Saha, residents in his area are experiencing severe anxiety regarding the upcoming SIR process.

"Our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has instructed us to support the people during this period... we're visiting each household to provide copies of the 2002 voter list containing their names."

"This will help them avoid complications in the future..." he explained, referencing recent controversies in Bihar where approximately 38 lakh names were removed from voter rolls for various reasons including deaths and alleged improper additions.

"In recent days, we've observed people desperately seeking documentation like residential certificates. The SIR announcement created widespread fear," he added, noting initial concerns when the Election Commission refused to accept Aadhaar as valid identification.

The Supreme Court subsequently directed the EC to recognize both Aadhaar and the commission's own voter ID cards as sufficient proof of Indian citizenship and voting eligibility.

Sudip Sen, a permanent resident of North 24 Parganas, told NDTV, "My family has no worries as we possess all required documentation. However, some of our relatives and friends are anxious because they lack complete records. Having access to the 2002 list will help alleviate their SIR-related concerns."

Suman Sarkar, a middle-aged technology professional and fellow resident, shared his frustrations: "The SIR process seems designed to generate fear. This sudden climate of anxiety appears calculated to distract ordinary citizens from pressing issues like extreme inflation and daily struggles. The rushed implementation of SIR is concerning."

Recently, senior Trinamool leader Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of the Chief Minister and second-in-command of the party, addressed North 24 Parganas residents, stating: "...be assured. If even one Bengali person is removed from the voter list through SIR or NRC (National Register of Citizens, another controversial central government initiative), we will surround the Election Commission headquarters in Delhi with 100,000 protesters and teach them a lesson."

Meanwhile, Bengal's BJP unit has established hundreds of 'SIR camps', particularly in border districts, to assist residents with the process. These facilities were originally set up to register people under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Last week, the party's election coordinator, Bhupendra Yadav, instructed these camps to expand their services to address SIR-related concerns.

The Bengal SIR officially commenced Thursday. The verification phase, during which electoral officials will conduct door-to-door document checks, begins November 4. The entire process concludes February 7 with the publication of the final updated voter list, several months before the upcoming election.