Kolkata Voter List Deletions Spark Confusion Ahead of Assembly Polls
Ahead of the assembly elections scheduled for next month, the deletion of names from the Summary Revision of Electoral Rolls (SIR) has created a stark divide in Kolkata, splitting families and neighborhoods into two distinct clusters. On one side, there are individuals who will be able to press the EVM buttons and exercise their franchise, while on the other, members from the same households or local communities find themselves stripped of their voting rights, leading to widespread confusion and distress.
Families Torn Apart by Electoral Roll Changes
The publication of the first supplementary list on Monday has left many residents with unanswered questions and mounting anxiety. Sudip Roychoudhury, a 60-year-old resident of Tollygunge, expressed his frustration, stating, "My name has been deleted along with my daughter's? Why? Will my wife go alone to cast vote from my family?" Despite his efforts to check his status on the Election Commission of India's (ECI) website, he encounters a message saying 'no records found', leaving him uncertain about whether his voting rights have been revoked. Born in 1965, Roychoudhury has lived in Kolkata his entire life and was marked 'under adjudication' even after submitting his passport during the SIR hearing. His daughter, Sreeja, who works in London and is mapped to him, also awaits clarity on her adjudication status.
Inconsistencies Across Constituencies
The issue extends beyond individual cases, revealing inconsistencies in how names are handled across different assembly segments. In the Shyampukur assembly, Bharati Ghosh found her name deleted from the list, while her daughter's name was included in the supplementary roll. However, her son's name remains pending, adding to the family's confusion. Similarly, in the Rashbehari constituency, Dipak Sharma is unable to locate his name on the ECI's website. He lamented, "Some of my neighbours have got their names back on the roll, but I am yet to find my name in the add-on list. I fear it has been deleted."
Personal Stories of Adjudication and Deletion
Other residents share similar tales of uncertainty. Binod Patra, a 55-year-old from New Town, is the only one in his four-member family whose name was under adjudication. He said, "I have been trying to check my name, but it was shown as pending till Wednesday. So, I am very worried about the next steps to follow. My name was there in the 2002 SIR roll, but at that time I was staying in Odisha. After that, I came to Kolkata with my family. During the hearing process, I submitted all the supporting documents, but I don't know why my name was sent for adjudication."
In another heart-wrenching case, Majida Bibi Mandal, a 60-year-old, is the sole member of her five-member family whose name was under adjudication and subsequently deleted. Her daughter, Rupa Khatun, is struggling with how to break the news, as her mother has repeatedly inquired about her inclusion in the supplementary list. Khatun explained, "My mother has never missed voting in any election, but this time, when she was told that her name was under scrutiny, she got upset and repeatedly asked whether her name would be included. I don't know how to tell her the truth, but she must know, as the next step cannot be taken without informing her."
Broader Implications for Democratic Participation
These personal accounts highlight a broader issue of transparency and efficiency in the electoral process. The SIR deletions have not only caused emotional distress but also raised questions about the fairness and accuracy of voter list management. As the assembly polls approach, the division within families and neighborhoods underscores the urgent need for clearer communication and resolution from election authorities to ensure that every eligible citizen can participate in the democratic exercise.
