SIR’s order: Not on electoral roll but still on election duty

Golabari SchooSadekul KarimKOLKATA: In a striking administrative contradiction ahead of Bengal elections, a growing number of citizens across districts find themselves caught in what many describe as an "election duty paradox". Even as the EC continues to keep their names ‘under adjudication' — effectively questioning or withholding their voter status — these very individuals have been assigned critical responsibilities in conducting the polls.

A TOI interaction with several such citizens reveals a troubling pattern: while their eligibility as voters remains unresolved, their obligation as poll officials is unquestioned. Many of them have already begun training or are preparing to serve as presiding or polling officers in various constituencies.

For Sadekul Karim, a teacher at Golabari School in Barasat and a well-known elocutionist, the situation borders on absurdity. Assigned as a presiding officer in the Barasat assembly constituency, he is currently undergoing official training. Yet, his own name remains under adjudication. "It's theatre of absurdity to me when the EC reminds me of my responsibility as a presiding officer of a poll, yet remains oblivious to my right as a voter for the same election," he said. Ironically, most of his family members' names appear on the electoral rolls.

A similar predicament confronts SK Tohidul Islam, a veteran polling officer from Oari in East Burdwan. Despite years of service in election duties, he now finds himself excluded from the voter list. "I have been assigned election duty, yet I have been kept under adjudication. At the time of the hearing, I submitted my passport, yet my name is under adjudication," he said.

The paradox extends even to senior administrative officials. Md Zakaria, the BDO of Khanakul-II, will oversee key election operations in the region. However, his own voting status remains uncertain. "My name was there in the 2002 electoral roll. As I perform my poll duty, I don't know whether my name will be cleared or not," he said.

In East Burdwan's Khandaghosh, Sheikh Minhaj Uddin, a primary schoolteacher and BLO, faces a similar dilemma. While ten members of his family were initially placed under adjudication and later cleared, his name continues to remain in limbo. Md Samsuddin, a teacher at Kumarhat High School, echoed the frustration. Despite assurances from the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) that his name had been cleared, it still appears under adjudication. The EC is yet to issue a comprehensive explanation for this, raising concerns about procedural lapses and the broader implications for electoral fairness.