TMC slams ECI for extending SIR deadline in select states, excluding Bengal

Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday hit out at the Election Commission of India (ECI) after it extended the deadline for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls by a week in six states and one Union Territory excluding some states, including Bengal.

However, the collection and digitisation of enumeration forms for Bengal, Goa, Rajasthan and Lakshadweep ended on Thursday. It was scheduled to be the last day of enumeration of electors in the SIR for 11 states and three UTs, while the state of Kerala had earlier been given an extension till December 18. The draft electoral roll for all states and UTs but

Kerala was scheduled to be published on December 16, except Kerala’s.

Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said that ECI has been acting as per the instruction of the BJP. He also raised the question as to why the entire process was carried out in so much hurry. “Earlier, the process used to take 2-3 years but this year the entire procedure is being carried out in just two months. Bengal is such a big state. Vast areas fall under villages. There are some places where population density has been higher. If properly done, the SIR process would have taken more time,” Ghosh told reporters during a press conference.

He also stated: “They (BJP) had hatched a conspiracy. They thought that the state government would have opposed the SIR and they would impose President’s rule on this pretext. Trinamool Congress did not fall in their trap. Chief Minister and our party supremo Mamata Banerjee had spoken about this earlier.”

According to the Election Commission, the enumeration deadline in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat has been extended till December 14, while the deadline in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andaman and Nicobar has been extended to December 18. The revised date of enumeration in Uttar Pradesh is December 26.

The ECI also said that the enumeration deadline (today) for Goa, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Rajasthan and Bengal remains unchanged, and the draft electoral rolls for these states will be published on December 16.