TMC seeks virtual hearings, relief for voters lacking documents

Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday demanded that the Election Commission make provisions for virtual hearings for electors living outside West Bengal and create special arrangements for voters who do not possess any of the 11 documents prescribed under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.

The demands were raised by MP Partha Bhowmick, a member of the TMC delegation, during a press conference after submitting a representation to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal.

Bhowmick said a large number of migrant workers and residents currently living outside the state were facing practical difficulties in attending physical hearings, and allowing virtual hearings would prevent genuine voters from being excluded.

He also said that voters who lack the required documents should not be deprived of their voting rights and must be given alternative verification mechanisms. In the written representation submitted to the CEO, the TMC sought immediate disclosure of the list of voters flagged under the category of “logical discrepancies”, stating that the Election Commission had summoned around 1.36 crore voters for hearings without publishing any official list or explaining the grounds on which they were flagged.

The party said voters were being kept in the dark about whether their names were affected and why they were being called for hearings The letter also demanded that doorstep verification and hearings be extended to all senior citizens above 60 years, noting that 60 is the nationally accepted benchmark for senior citizen benefits.

While welcoming the recent decision to allow home verification for electors aged 85 years and above and persons with disabilities, the party argued that denying similar relief to other elderly voters lacked justification.

Additionally, the TMC again objected to the exclusion of Booth Level Agents (BLA-2s) of political parties from SIR hearings, stating that there was no official circular authorising such a restriction. The party demanded a formal written clarification affirming the right of BLA-2s of all political parties to be present during hearings.

The representation sought a time-bound response from the CEO.