West Bengal Publishes First SIR Supplementary List, Clarity Missing On Voter Changes

Kolkatta: The first supplementary list of SIR (Special Intensive Revision) under the voter list revision process in West Bengal was released late on Monday night. Its link has been made available on the official website of the Election Commission and the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the state. Voters whose names were in the 'Pending' category can now go online and check their status whether their name has been added or removed from the final list.

How many names were added and how many were removed?

Although no official press note has been issued by the Election Commission or the CEO office so far in this regard, according to sources, about 29 lakh cases have been disposed of. Out of these, about 10 lakh names are being removed from the list. The remaining names have been included in the final voter list.

Why was there a delay in releasing the supplementary list?

The final voter list was released on 28 February. This first supplementary list has come out about 22 days after that. During this time, the process of investigation and verification of the names kept in the 'under consideration' category was going on, after which this update has now been issued.

Will the list now be visible at the booth level also?

Information has been received from the administration that this supplementary list will be pasted at all the polling centers (booths) from Tuesday so that common people can see the status of their names offline also.

Why was security increased?

After the release of the list, the state administration has come into alert mode. Police surveillance has been increased in sensitive areas. Additional security arrangements have been made to deal with any possible dispute or crowd situation.

How many names were removed earlier?

A total of 6,366,952 names were removed in the final voter list released on February 28, while 6,006,675 names were kept in the 'pending' category. Now, after settling a large number of those cases, the first supplementary list has been released.

What will happen next?

Now the focus will be on whether the Election Commission releases further supplementary lists or not. Besides, those whose names have been struck off will also have the option to lodge claims and objections.