April 9 cut-off tension for 3.6 lakh Kolkata voters

KOLKATA: Around 3.6 lakh voters in Kolkata whose electoral status is under judicial scrutiny have just over three weeks to find out if they will be eligible to vote in the upcoming Bengal assembly elections. The clarification is expected through a supplementary electoral roll that must be published before April 9 — the final date for filing nominations for the second phase of the polls.

For many, the wait is marked by uncertainty despite repeated submissions of documents and participation in hearings conducted by election authorities. Debasis Chakraborty (36) from Salt Lake said: “I attended the hearing and showed my passport and other documents. Even then, my name remains under judicial scrutiny.”




Similar concerns were raised by Pramod Kumar Prasad (45) from Bhowanipore, whose name was flagged due to an age mismatch with his father, placing him in the logical discrepancy list. “I submitted my Madhyamik certificate, birth certificate, and every document that was asked for. But my name is still not cleared.

I don’t know when the supplementary list will come out, and even then, there is no guarantee my name will be included,” he said.

About 60 lakh electors across Bengal were placed under judicial adjudication.

Sources indicated that the first supplementary electoral list may be released by the end of this week. According to officials, nearly 40% of the approximately 15 lakh cases examined by judicial officers so far reportedly failed to clear scrutiny.

EC rules permit revisions to the electoral roll until the last date for filing nominations. Since the Bengal elections will be conducted in two phases, supplementary lists must be published before the respective nomination deadlines — April 6 and April 9 — for the constituencies voting in each phase.

For Dharmendra Singh (60) from Tollygunge, the situation is particularly puzzling. His family has lived in the area for generations, yet he is the only one among 22 family members whose name is under scrutiny. “Despite my name being on the 2002 roll, I was called for two hearings. I submitted all documents but my name was sent for adjudication,” he said.

Rabi Barik (34) from Park Circus said, “There are seven members in our family and only my name is under adjudication. I submitted all the documents and attended two hearings. Still the case went for judicial scrutiny. But I have faith that the process will resolve it,” he said.