ALT + CTRL + DEL: SIR knocks Kolkata families off vote map

Kolkata: The second supplementary list brought out last night dealt a heavy blow to many families living in the city for generations. Exactly a month after the release of the final roll on Feb 28, they woke up to the shock of losing voting rights on Saturday morning. Now, they are looking for help to appeal in the tribunal for restoration of their rights.

All these voters stated that despite having all "legitimate" documents needed for the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral roll, their names were marked under adjudication and then deleted. The "deprived" voters questioned if their documents reached the judicial officers scrutinising their cases.




Ward 54 (part 30) under Entally constituency, covering Beniapukur, Suresh Sarkar Road, Sir Syed Ahmed Road, Mofidul Islam Lane, Ismail Street, witnessed as many as 249 voter deletions out of 382 adjudication cases. "The names of my mother, father, sister along with mine have been deleted. We have been living in the neighbourhood for 35 years," said Shabaz (29).

At a booth in Rashbehari constituency (part 46), 96 electors were under adjudication and all of them found that their names were struck off the roll. These residents of Deshpran Sashmal Road under KMC ward 81 grew up in the area and their families are also living here for generations.

"During hearing I submitted all documents sought by EC officials. Did they reach the judicial officer? I doubt. It is my belief that having seen the documents that EC officials took from me, the judicial officer would have included my name in the list," said 49-year-old Dipak Sharma, a Rashbehari resident.

The voters marked ‘deleted' are now seeking help to make an appeal in the tribunal. "It is mentioned that deleted voters like me can make an appeal within 15 days before the appellate tribunal in online or offline mode. I don't know how to do that and will take help of my neighbours who met the same fate," said another deleted voter in Rashbehari, Bapi Das.

Ward 44 (part 21) under Chowringhee covering parts of Mechhua, Colootola Street, Tiretta Bazar, Phears Lane, saw 88 disenfranchisement out of 164 cases under adjudication. Md Mudassar, whose family has been living in the area for 93 years, has been deleted from the roll along with 9 other family members. Md Sajjad, a deleted voter from Chowringhee, said, "Five in my family were under adjudication. My mother's name has been included in the supplementary list but my name, along with my wife's and two of my sister-in-laws' have been deleted after judicial scrutiny."