Kolkata: Thousands of voters whose names were deleted from the electoral rolls lined up outside government offices across Bengal on Monday as tribunals began hearing appeals, marking the last window of recourse ahead of the first phase of Assembly elections.
The Supreme Court on Monday declined to extend the deadline for the tribunal process, making it clear that the electoral rolls for the first phase would be frozen on Monday, April 6, as scheduled.
While an Election Commission (EC) official maintained that those left out can approach tribunals until April 22, such appeals will not impact the already frozen rolls for the first phase. The application process for second-phase voters is scheduled for April 9.
The fate of about 25 lakh people, whose names were deleted during the SIR, now hinges on these tribunal proceedings.
At Katwa, Abdul Rahim said he had been waiting outside the BDO office since early morning. “Despite submitting Aadhaar, voter ID and residence proof earlier, my name has been deleted. I don’t know if I will be able to vote this time,” he said.
In Barasat, Sima Das stood in a queue with her young daughter outside the district magistrate’s office. “Officials had earlier assured me that my documents were in order, but my name is still missing from the list,” she alleged.
Similar scenes were reported from Canning in South 24-Parganas, where queues stretched beyond office premises. Harjeet Singh, another applicant, said several members of his family were excluded despite repeated submissions of valid documents.
Security was tightened around tribunal venues, with personnel from West Bengal Police and central forces deployed in large numbers.
With electoral rolls frozen for the first phase, concerns persist that a significant number of affected voters may be left disenfranchised, despite ongoing tribunal hearings.