Election authorities in West Bengal are set to issue formal notices to a staggering over 1.6 crore electors whose submitted enumeration forms contain what have been flagged as "logical discrepancies." This massive exercise follows a detailed scrutiny of the state's electoral roll data.
Major Discrepancies Uncovered in Voter Forms
The review has revealed several categories of irregularities. A significant finding is that nearly 23.6 lakh electors in the state have declared themselves as one of at least six progeny of the same parent listed on the electoral roll from the last Special Summary Revision (SIR) conducted back in 2002. While the state average for this discrepancy is about 3.1%, it spikes in certain districts. Murshidabad records a high of 7.1%, followed by Uttar Dinajpur at 6.8%.
Another widespread issue is a mismatch in the father's name. The forms submitted by a whopping 85 lakh electors show this anomaly, constituting over 11% of the state's electorate. This percentage is alarmingly higher in specific regions: 19.9% in Kalimpong, nearly 16% in Malda, 14.9% in Uttar Dinajpur, and 13.8% in Darjeeling.
Age Gaps and Unmapped Voters Add to the List
Authorities have also identified 19.4 lakh electors (2.5% of the electorate) who are over 45 years of age but have never enrolled to vote before. In Kalimpong, this figure is as high as 5.4%. Furthermore, about 19.4 lakh voters have declared an age gap with their parents that is either less than 15 years or more than 50 years—a detail considered illogical. Kalimpong again leads here with 6.3% of electors falling into this category.
Apart from these specific discrepancies, a separate group of nearly 28 to 30 lakh electors were found to be "unmapped." This means they failed to specify their link with the 2002 electoral roll, making it difficult to verify their historical data.
Next Steps: Notices and Verification
The local Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) will now serve notices to all these individuals. The notices will seek an explanation for the flagged discrepancies and request proof of their eligibility to be enrolled in the voter list. This large-scale verification drive aims to cleanse the electoral roll and ensure its integrity ahead of future elections.
The data highlights particular administrative challenges in districts like Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Uttar Dinajpur, and Malda, where the incidence of multiple discrepancies is significantly above the state average, prompting focused scrutiny from the election machinery.
