In a notable development within West Bengal's ongoing Summary Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, a former Member of Parliament has been summoned to prove his legitimacy as a voter. Ex-Lok Sabha MP Tarun Mandal, who also served the central government as a medical officer, appeared for a hearing on Tuesday, an experience he described as uncertain and harrowing.
The Sudden Summons and the Rush to Appear
The former parliamentarian was engaged in party work at his ancestral home in Murshidabad on Sunday when he received an unexpected call. A Booth Level Officer (BLO) instructed him to appear for a hearing in Howrah just two days later, on Tuesday. Mandal, who had been a long-time resident of Howrah, was compelled to cut short his programme and rush back to the city.
"I was told that my name was not in the 2002 electoral list, and hence the BLO asked me to come for the hearing," Mandal stated. He attended the hearing at the College Ghat Road PWD office, where officials raised questions about the absence of his name from the 2002 voter list. They further requested documents to formally establish his relationship with his mother.
A Distinguished Career Under Scrutiny
Tarun Mandal's credentials are a matter of public record. He contested the 15th Lok Sabha elections in 2009 as a candidate from the SUCI party from the Jaynagar constituency and served as an MP until 2014. Prior to his political career, the Kolkata Medical College graduate served as the Chief Medical Officer at the India Security Press Hospital, taking voluntary retirement in 2007.
During the hearing, Mandal submitted the two required documents. However, he expressed deep frustration at the process, pointing out the irony of being asked to prove his identity. "All information about me is at the click of a mouse, as digital records are available from the website of the Parliament," he remarked.
Questioning the Process and Worry for Common Voters
Mandal sharply criticised the ordeal, framing it as a contradiction to the government's Digital India initiative. "This is a mockery of the big talks the govt projects about Digital India," he said. He went further, posing a rhetorical question: "Or is it that the Govt of India, through the election, is desperately trying to find out if some Bangladesh national sneaked into the Parliament as its member?"
Highlighting his long-standing civic participation, Mandal noted he has been voting in every tier of election—local body, state assembly, and Lok Sabha—for about four decades. Although the BLO assured him he would not receive further summons, there was no clarity on when his name would be reinstated in the voter list, leaving him in a state of uncertainty.
His primary concern, however, extends beyond his own case. "I am worried for the common people who are facing the same harassment," Mandal added. "Many lose their day's work as they run around collecting documents and appear for the hearing." His comments underscore the broader disruptions caused by such verification processes for ordinary citizens across the state.
