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Kolkata, Nov 4 (IANS) The first phase of the three-phase special intensive revision (SIR) by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in West Bengal begins on Tuesday, with only 32.06 per cent of names present in the existing voter list in the 2002 electoral rolls, according to findings of “mapping and matching” so far between the two lists.
The voter list of 2002, when last SIR was conducted in the state, has been taken as the basis for the current SIR. “Mapping and matching” of names continues.
“The total number of voters in West Bengal in the existing voter list is around 7.66 crore. As per the ‘mapping and matching’ done so far, names of less than 2.46 crore voters have been found whose names or their parents’ names were found in the 2002 voter list,” an insider in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said.
However, he said, the final figure may vary once the “mapping and matching” work is fully completed.
As per the norms, voters whose names in the current list or their parents’ names are in the 2002 list will automatically be considered as genuine voters, and they will not have to submit any other supporting document other than the duly filled enumeration form to retain their name in the new voter list.
However, those whose names are not in the 2002 list will have to provide any one of the documents mandated by the ECI for that purpose. Although Aadhaar card has been included in the list of such documents, the ECI has made it clear that Aadhaar card alone will not suffice, and the concerned voter will have to produce any one of the 11 other documents specified by the ECI.
Aadhaar will neither be considered as proof of citizenship nor proof of age.
SIR will be conducted in three phases. In the first phase, BLOs will reach door to door with counting forms and collect details of the concerned voters. The draft of the voter list in the state will be announced at the end of the first phase.
Then, in the second phase, any political party or individual voter will be able to register their complaints on the draft list, which will be addressed by the ECI.
Then, in the third and final phase, the EROs will resolve the complaints received from individual political parties or individual voters, after which the final voter list will be published.
The entire process is expected to be completed maximum by March 2026.
West Bengal, along with three other states and one union territory, is due to go to crucial assembly elections next year.
–IANS
Source/DPB