Kolkata Voters Rally at CM Mamata Banerjee's Dharna Against Electoral Roll Deletions
On Saturday, the second day of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's sit-in protest at Esplanade in Kolkata, numerous families who have long resided in the city and its suburbs but were stripped of their voting rights gathered at her dharna manch. These individuals, many labeled as "SIR-harassed," voiced their anguish over what they termed the "wrongful deletion" of genuine voters from the electoral roll.
CM Calls "Ghost" Voters to Stage in Symbolic Protest
In a powerful gesture, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee invited over 43 so-called "ghosts"—voters declared dead or deleted—along with their family members onto her dais. She observed a solemn one-minute silence at the venue to protest the injustice faced by these citizens. The attendees displayed their enumeration forms and official documents, including Aadhaar cards, to underscore their plight.
The CM emphatically stated, "These people have all the necessary documents, yet their names have mysteriously vanished from the rolls. During the Summary Revision (SIR) hearings, they presented their papers, but it was to no avail. Now, they are here to show you, the public, their documents and demand justice. Our movement is dedicated to their cause."
Personal Stories of Voter Disenfranchisement
Among those called to the stage was Ashis Bhowmik, a 56-year-old resident of the Bhowanipore assembly constituency, who was erroneously listed as a "dead" voter. He shared, "I have lived in the Alipore area since birth and have voted consistently since 1988. Despite this, my name was deleted from the electoral roll. At the SIR hearing at New Alipore Multipurpose School, I provided all required documents, yet the Election Commission still considered me deceased. Since the roll was published, I have been anxious about this deletion. Today, I explained to Didi how I was denied my voting right, and at her request, I displayed my documents from the stage."
Other "deleted" voters and those under judicial scrutiny from various parts of the city also sat near the CM's stage, expressing deep concerns about their future and the integrity of the electoral process.
Voices from Across Kolkata Echo Frustration
Ashis Kumar Hela, a deleted voter from Princep Street, recounted, "The Booth Level Officer (BLO) informed me that there was no justification for deleting my name since I could produce all documents, even my Madhyamik certificate. While my parents and wife remain on the electoral roll, my name has disappeared. I urge the Election Commission to clarify why this happened."
Chaitali Chakraborty, who traveled from Dakshineswar to join the protest, added, "Although my name is still on the roll, I endured harassment during the hearing. I grew weary of repeatedly submitting my documents. There was no valid reason to summon me, as I had furnished all EC-specified documents during enumeration. Why are the people of Bengal being subjected to such harassment in the name of SIR?"
The protest highlighted widespread discontent over the electoral roll revisions, with participants calling for transparency and fairness in the voter registration process.
