Congress MLA Warns Against Voter List Irregularities in Tripura
Concerns Over Voter List Integrity
On Sunday, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman issued a stern warning that booth-level officers in Tripura could face severe consequences if they attempt to remove legitimate voters' names or add fraudulent ones during the upcoming special intensive revision of electoral rolls.
In October, the Election Commission announced a nationwide revision of voter lists, which is currently taking place in 12 states and Union Territories, although Tripura is not part of this round.
In Bihar, where the revision was completed ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled for November, approximately 47 lakh voters were removed from the final electoral roll published on September 30.
Concerns arose in Bihar regarding the potential exclusion of eligible voters, prompting several petitioners to approach the Supreme Court.
During a training session for Congress booth-level agents in Agartala, Barman emphasized the party's commitment to ensuring a transparent and accurate electoral roll.
He stated that the opposition would not permit the irregularities seen in Maharashtra, Bihar, and Haryana to occur in Tripura.
The Congress party has consistently accused the Election Commission of facilitating widespread vote rigging, particularly in the 2024 Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana, alleging a systematic manipulation of national institutions.
The Election Commission has dismissed these allegations.
Barman clarified that while the deletion of deceased voters or foreign nationals from the rolls is acceptable, any unethical practices aimed at including fake or duplicate names will not be tolerated.
He warned of serious repercussions for booth-level officers who engage in unethical practices to manipulate the electoral rolls.
"Tripura is a small state where everyone knows each other," he remarked. "If any BLO attempts to remove genuine voters' names or add fake ones under pressure from the ruling party, they will face public backlash."
Assembly elections in Tripura are anticipated in 2028.
Barman's comments come amid reports of booth-level officers facing overwhelming workloads during the revision process in other states, with at least eight suicides and several deaths reported in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, and Rajasthan.
Booth-level officers, typically primary school teachers and health workers, are tasked with managing the voter list for their assigned polling booths, which can have up to 1,500 registered voters. Their responsibilities include verifying the identities of new voters and confirming the details of those who have passed away or moved away.
On November 30, the Election Commission extended the timeline for the revision exercise in the 12 states and Union Territories by one week, moving the deadline for form submissions from December 4 to December 11.
The final electoral rolls are set to be published on February 14.
Recently, the Supreme Court directed state governments to provide additional staff to assist booth-level officers during the electoral roll revision, aiming to reduce their workload and alleviate their difficulties.