Serpentine lines outside tribunal centres in Bengal as deleted voters queue up to get their names back on voter lists

Massive lines were seen outside tribunal centres in at least two districts of West Bengal as electors whose names were deleted during the special intensive revision process queued up to get their names back on the voter lists ahead of the election. Fresh protests erupted in North 24 Parganas’ Basirhat area alleging wrongful deletion of names. 

With only three weeks to go before the West Bengal Assembly election scheduled on April 23 and 29, concerns over alleged voter deletions and disenfranchisement are intensifying across the State. 

In Purba Bardhaman’s Katwa, serpentine lines were seen outside the Sub-Divisional Office as local residents waited since early morning to submit their appeals to the local administration to consider reinstating their names in the electoral rolls. Similar queues were also reported from Barasat outside the District Magistrate’s office in North 24 Parganas. 

Central forces were seen trying to control the crowd at Katwa, where the SDO office premises and the whole neighbourhood were filled with people waiting to meet the authorities. Chaos and confusion unfolded as hundreds of appellants waited for hours. 

“We had names in the 2002 list, we submitted all documents, including passport and Aadhaar, still our names were deleted. We also appeared at the hearing, but our names were deleted,” one of the residents in the line outside Barasat DM’s office told mediapersons. Others standing in the long lines reported similar stories. 

Protests erupt over deletions 

In North 24 Parganas’s Basirhat protests erupted after locals alleged that nearly 700 voters were wrongfully deleted from 3 booths in the area. Angry protestors blocked roads and burnt tyres to voice their concerns over the wrongful deletions. 

Commenting on the rising concerns, senior Trinamool Congress leader and Beleghata candidate Kunal Ghosh said that voters were left in the dark about their voting rights. “People are in a state of extreme uncertainty. We are with people. I am telling people, if they are legal voters then the fight to get their names back on the final list will continue,” Mr. Ghosh said.  

“We had already said that almost 1 crore illegal voters will be removed, the matter is going that way. Once the list is declared, the picture will become clear,” senior BJP leader and Kharagpur Sadar candidate Dilip Ghosh said. 

Last week, seven judicial officers were held hostage in north Bengal’s Malda by residents alleging wrongful deletion of names from voter lists. After the administration failed to control the situation for over nine hours, a massive showdown erupted between the ruling party, the Opposition, and the judicial system. 

The Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, stated that the gheraoing of judicial officers was a challenge to the Supreme Court’s authority. Both the BJP and Trinamool accused each other of “orchestrating” the episode. The National Investigating Agency has been roped in to investigate the matter. 

The “under adjudication” voters who were deleted from the voter lists can appeal to the 19 tribunals set up across 23 districts of West Bengal. The tribunals are headed by former High Court Chief Justices and judges.  

On Sunday, Congress candidate from Farakka Mohtab Sheikh’s name was restored in the final voter list after a tribunal headed by former Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, T.S. Sivagnanam ordered his name to be reinstated. This was one of the first voters whose case was resolved by a tribunal.