Shocking revelations from the ‘SIR’ exercise At least 24 lakh bogus voters suspected in Bengal!

  • Suspicion deepens after records reveal more than six voters are listed as children of the same underage parent!

  • Cases like these bring the reality to light. 

(‘SIR’ stands for Special Intensive Revision)

Kolkata (Bengal) – The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is currently underway in Bengal, and it is exposing the deep-rooted irregularities prevailing in the State. The exercise has brought to light the names of more than 24 lakh 21 thousand ‘voters’ who have recorded the same individual as their parent. In several instances, over six persons have declared the same parent, a highly improbable fact. Considering the parent’s age at the time of the previous SIR conducted in 2002, it would have been virtually impossible for that individual to have had six children then.

In view of these glaring anomalies, the Election Commission has decided to summon such individuals for verification and hearings, directing them to produce valid documentary evidence.  Only those voters who can establish a legitimate relationship—such as being children or grandchildren of voters registered in 2002—will be deemed genuine. This information has been reported by a prominent English Daily published from Kolkata.

Apart from these cases, several other voters have also come under scrutiny for various reasons and may be called for verification at a later stage. At present, booth-level officers are verifying discrepancies in the records of nearly 85 lakh voters, while simultaneously ensuring that genuine voters are not wrongfully excluded. The entire exercise is being closely monitored by the ruling Trinamool Congress party.

Editorial Perceptive

  • The allegations regarding lakhs of Bangladeshi infiltrators  in Bengal have now found documentary corroboration.
  • With Assembly elections due in the State during March–April, it is imperative to formulate and implement a concrete action plan to expel all such fake citizens from the country before the polls.