The anticipation to view the crucial 'logical discrepancy' list extended into Sunday, well past the Election Commission's stipulated deadline, leaving Kolkata residents in a state of uncertainty and frustration. Across the vast majority of the city's wards, the list remained conspicuously absent, with only a couple of locations—specifically the ward office in Alipore and Deshbandhu School in north Kolkata—managing to display it publicly.
Widespread Confusion and Public Outcry
As word spread on Sunday evening about the list's availability at Alipore's ward 74 office, a steady stream of concerned citizens arrived to scrutinize the document for their names. However, this small glimmer of transparency was overshadowed by the pervasive lack of information elsewhere in Kolkata. Both voters and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) found themselves in the dark, with no clear timeline for when the list would be published in their respective areas.
In an attempt to assuage the growing anxiety, Bengal's Chief Electoral Officer, Manoj Agarwal, addressed reporters. "Everything will be available in time," he assured. "The downloading of the list is currently underway. We have over 80,000 BLOs engaged in this task. Some have already completed the download and made the lists public. The remainder will follow suit shortly. Although today is Sunday and tomorrow is Republic Day, a holiday, all necessary data was shared on Saturday."
Personal Stories of Distress and Injustice
Among those who journeyed to Alipore was Zaiada Khatoon, a 53-year-old woman grappling with grief. Having lost her husband, Naushad Ali, to a heart attack last month after they jointly submitted their SIR form in November, she now faces an additional burden: a hearing scheduled for January 27 regarding a 'logical discrepancy'. Frantically searching for documents, her ordeal was compounded when the published list did not clearly mention her or her husband's names, though her EPIC number was present. Their details were correctly recorded in the 2002 SIR list.
Sanjay Chakraborty, the BLA for part 83, expressed his dismay. "I was present when she and her husband completed the form in November. All their information is accurately listed in the 2002 records. How, then, could such an error occur? This is undoubtedly a systemic glitch," he stated. "It is profoundly unfair that a woman mourning her husband's death is now saddled with a hearing for a discrepancy that is not of her making."
Another voter, Abhijit Das from part 113 under ward 74, discovered his name on the list with his father's name misspelled—"Shib Narayan Das" appeared as "Sib". "Now, because of a missing 'h', I must attend a hearing. Where is the justice in that?" he questioned angrily.
Further illustrating the list's inaccuracies, 42-year-old Kasrin Begum, a mother of four, was summoned for a hearing alongside her husband, Md Raju. The EC list erroneously indicated she has six siblings instead of five, while her husband, whose name was correctly in the 2002 SIR list, was called for an age discrepancy.
BLOs Left in the Dark
The confusion was not limited to voters; many BLOs across Kolkata reported being uninformed about the list's status. Arup Mondal, a BLO in Tollygunge, shared, "Electors in my area are constantly calling me, asking when the list will be displayed. To date, I have received no communication from EC officials regarding this matter. I am even uncertain if BLOs are responsible for putting it up."
Echoing this sentiment, a BLO from Bhowanipore added, "People attending hearings are inquiring about the list, but I have no answers to offer. BLOs like myself have been completely kept in the dark on this issue."
Voter Experiences and Allegations of Harassment
Dinesh Kumar Chandra, a voter unaware that the list was displayed at the north Kolkata hearing centre, voiced his frustration. "I saw no such list at the hearing centre, nor was I informed of its existence to request a viewing," he said. "This entire process feels like harassment. My father's name, for instance, has a space between 'Kamala' and 'Kanta' that was omitted in the SIR roll. I was called to clarify this discrepancy, but the question remains: who is accountable for the initial mistake?"
The situation has sparked widespread concern among Kolkata's electorate, highlighting potential flaws in the electoral process and raising questions about transparency and efficiency. As voters await clarity, the delay in publishing the 'logical discrepancy' list continues to fuel public discontent and calls for accountability.
