TMC flags voter list errors, stages protest in Dinhata

Cooch Behar: The Trinamool Congress on Wednesday organised a protest march in Dinhata town, alleging large-scale harassment of voters during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process being conducted by the Election Commission. The march began from Subhash Bhavan and passed through various streets of the town before culminating in front of the office of the Dinhata Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO).

Trinamool Congress MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia, North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha, along with several party leaders and supporters, participated in the protest. Following the march, the delegation met the Sub-Divisional Officer and submitted a memorandum highlighting their grievances.

Addressing the gathering outside the SDO office, MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia alleged that the Election Commission was harassing people under the pretext of the SIR process. He claimed that names were being arbitrarily altered, citing instances where names such as “Mia” were changed to “Sheikh” and vice versa. He further alleged that errors caused by the use of artificial intelligence were adversely

affecting villagers. The MP accused the Election Commission of functioning at the behest of the BJP and targeting residents of Bengal, including those in Dinhata. North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha said that the delegation raised several issues with the SDO, including the inclusion of beneficiaries of Gitanjali Awas Yojana and Indira Awas Yojana in the voter list.

According to Guha, the SDO assured that the matter would be reviewed within a day. He also pointed out unresolved concerns regarding voter registration of women from former enclave areas after marriage and discrepancies in recorded ages across generations. Guha stated that the party would continue to pursue the matter to ensure no eligible voter is excluded.