TMC, Cong question EC’s use of 2002 SIR data despite 2009 delimitation

Kolkata: Opposition parties in Bengal, led by the Trinamool on Wednesday questioned the EC's rationale for making SIR 2002 the reference year, even though the state underwent delimitation in 2009, which altered it's electoral demography. Both Trinamool and Congress raised this issue during the ongoing Supreme Court hearing.Trinamool MP and senior lawyer Kalyan Banerjee, speaking to reporters on Wednesday, said, "The process is based on the 2002 data, but Bengal underwent delimitation in 2009 and a new voter roll was introduced. As per Rule 24 of the Electoral Roll, every constituency's roll shall be revised either intensively, summarily, or partly both under Section 21(2)...Where delimitation has taken place, the rule clearly states that after delimitation, the roll must be revised, and no earlier rolls should be considered. So, in that case, even the 2002 data cannot be used as a base. The ongoing SIR is therefore being conducted on a baseless roll.""This continuous favouring of BJP is dangerous. The dignity of the EC is being destroyed in this manner, which is a shame for India," Banerjee said. "Another very important point, suppose I am a voter in 2024-2025, but I was a voter since 1977-78. Now, if I don't fill up the new enumeration form, will my name be removed from the voter list? Then I'll have to become a voter all over again? But if my name already exists in the voter list, I have the right to vote. Taking away that right is unconstitutional," he added.TMC MPs Derek O'Brien, Dola Sen and Mala Roy have filed a plea before the SC against the SIR procedure.Prasenjit Bose, chairperson of the Bengal Congress's SIR committee, said that the party pointed out major defects in the process. "We raised questions about the logic behind linking the process solely with the 2002 SIR. There were no citizenship tests in 2002. There were enumeration pads and enumerators filled up the details. Now the burden of filling up enumeration forms and linking it is on the elector…There were delimitations after 2002, and names of constituencies and boundaries have changed and merged. There is a need to include at least one more year after the delimitation," Bose said.CPM's central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said that they raised the question at the all-party meeting with the EC on Oct 28. "I raised a question about considering 2002 as the base year. The last Lok Sabha poll was in 2024. Prior to that, there was a state assembly poll and another Lok Sabha poll. They can take any of these three years as the base year. Taking 2002 as the base year will only add to the harassment of the people," Chakraborty said.