Controversy Surrounds Voter List in West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026
West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 Underway
The West Bengal Assembly elections for 2026 are currently in progress. Voting for the first phase took place on April 23, with the second phase scheduled for April 29. This election cycle has seen various issues arise, but the most significant controversy revolves around the Special Intensive Review (SIR). A deep dispute has emerged involving the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Election Commission.
Voter List Controversy
Through the SIR process, approximately 9.1 million voters have been removed from the electoral rolls. This list includes the names of officials actively working as election officers in West Bengal. It is shocking that those overseeing the elections have found their names missing from the voter list.
Election Officers Denied Voting Rights
According to a report by a leading English newspaper, Azizul Haque has served as a presiding officer in various elections in West Bengal for nearly thirty years. He is among 65 election officials who have worked across different administrations. However, this time, his name has been excluded from the voter list.
These 65 officials have filed a petition with the Supreme Court against the removal of their names from the voter list. The Supreme Court has directed them to approach the tribunal established for SIR complaints and await its decision.
Slow Progress of the Tribunal
Before the first phase of voting on April 23, the tribunal managed to process only about 650 out of 3.4 million pending applications. Of these, merely 139 names were reinstated on the voter list. The tribunal now has just two days left to add names to the current election's voter list.
'I Can't Vote'
In an interview with the newspaper, Azizul Haque expressed his frustration, stating, 'It’s unfortunate. I cannot vote, yet I am expected to conduct elections as a presiding officer in the Palashipara assembly area of Nadia district, where voting is set for April 29.' Haque is a senior teacher at Krishnanagar Collegiate School in Nadia district.
Can Conduct Elections, But Cannot Vote
Aditya Samadder, the lawyer representing these election officials, described the situation as bizarre. He noted that all 65 officials were appointed as polling officers based on their verified electoral identities. The lawyer remarked, 'My clients are deemed untrustworthy enough to vote, yet they are considered reliable enough to oversee the elections. They have been verified as government employees for conducting elections, but they have been told they cannot cast their votes.'