Siliguri: The process of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls commenced across Bengal from Tuesday, as part of a nationwide exercise by the Election Commission of India (ECI). Amid the revision drive, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has intensified its efforts to ensure that no genuine voter’s name is removed from the list, alleging that the BJP is attempting to manipulate voter rolls for electoral gain.
In Siliguri, senior TMC leaders have set up camps in every ward under the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) and in each block of the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad (SMP) area.
The party has also conducted training sessions for its Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to enable them to actively participate in the survey alongside Booth Level Officers (BLOs). Addressing a Press conference on Tuesday after a party meeting, Gautam Deb, a member of the TMC Core Committee for Darjeeling district, said: “The BJP is trying to remove genuine voters from the list under the SIR process for political benefits. We will ensure that no authentic voter’s name is deleted. Our BLAs have been trained to work with BLOs during door-to-door surveys. Town and block-level monitoring teams have been formed and a central office will oversee the entire process.”
The meeting was attended by Papiya Ghosh, Arun Mandal, core committee members, Sanjay Tibruwel, Chairman of the Darjeeling District TMC.
The TMC has already set up SIR monitoring offices in Bagdogra, Siliguri, Dabgram-Fulbari and Phansidewa, ensuring close supervision of the voter list verification process. The party stated that apart from preventing deletions, efforts will also be made to include new eligible voters in the rolls.
The Election Commission of India has begun phase two of SIR in 12 states and Union Territories, including Bengal. The drive, covering over 51 crore voters, will continue from November 4 to December 4, 2025.