Raiganj: Uncertainty continues to loom over the candidature of senior Trinamool Congress leader and outgoing minister Md. Ghulam Rabbani, as his name failed to appear in the third supplementary list of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls published on Saturday night. As the election draws closer, the exclusion of names from electoral rolls has emerged as a major concern, potentially impacting both candidates and voters in key constituencies of North Dinajpur.
Rabbani, a three-time MLA from Goalpokhar and the current Minister of State for Non-Conventional and Renewable Energy, is among several leaders whose names remain under the “adjudication” category, raising concerns over their eligibility to contest the upcoming Assembly elections. Rabbani has sent letters to the State Electoral Officer and District Magistrate North Dinajpur seeking their intervention to include his name before the start of the nomination process.
According to sources, his name was missing even during the draft publication of the voter list. Although he later attended the hearing and submitted all required documents, including Aadhar card, academic certificates and passport, his name did not feature in the final roll published on February 28 and continues to remain excluded from subsequent supplementary lists.
Expressing surprise, Rabbani stated: “My name is in the electoral roll of 2002. Despite submitting all necessary documents, my name was not included along with thousands of other voters in the Constituency. It is a conspiracy against me. Political forces of the BJP have been influencing the process of SIR ahead of elections. The nomination process is set to begin shortly. The last date for filing nomination is April 6. My party guided me to submit my nomination on April 2. I have also sent a message to the State Electoral Office and North Dinajpur district Magistrate to include my name in the voter list before the nomination submission begins.”
Reports indicate that several voters across districts, including Malda and North Dinajpur, have found their names missing from supplementary lists, triggering protests and political tension.
Meanwhile, unrest was also reported at an election training centre at Islampur Polytechnic Institute, where a section of teachers raised slogans of “No vote, no duty” on Saturday. They demanded immediate inclusion of all eligible teachers in the supplementary voter list, warning that they may refuse election duty. A teacher, Mahammad Naved Rabbani, stated: “Several teachers are still under adjudication despite attending training sessions, creating uncertainty regarding our participation in election duties. If they are themselves not eligible voters, then why should they give a nod to electoral duties?”