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50,000 Unmapped Voters in Bengal Face Deletion Ahead of Crucial Assembly Polls

Electoral officers in West Bengal have identified over 50,000 unmapped voters, roughly 1.57% of the total summoned, as eligible for deletion after they failed to attend hearings with identity documents. Hearings are now proceeding for nearly 94.5 lakh voters flagged under "logical discrepancy" cases, with a deadline of February 7. The final electoral roll, which will clarify the total number of deletions, is scheduled for publication on February 14. Following this, the full Election Commission bench will visit the state to assess the situation before announcing poll dates for the crucial upcoming Assembly elections.

Key Points: 1.6% Unmapped Voters Identified for Deletion in West Bengal

  • 50,000+ unmapped voters skipped hearings
  • 1.57% of unmapped voters face deletion
  • Hearings for 94 lakh "logical discrepancy" cases ongoing
  • Final voters' list to be published on February 14
2 min read

SIR: 1.6 pc of unmapped voters identified as eligible for deletion from electoral roll in West Bengal

Over 50,000 unmapped voters in West Bengal face deletion from the electoral roll as hearings conclude. The final list is due Feb 14 ahead of Assembly elections.

"It is now final that 1.57 per cent of the 'unmapped' voters are heading for deletion from the final voters' list. - CEO office sources"

Kolkata, Feb 6

Around 1.6 per cent of the identified "unmapped" voters did not turn up for hearings with supporting identity documents certifying the legitimacy of their voting rights and, hence, had been identified by the electoral registration officers as eligible for deletion from the final voters' list.

The total number of "unmapped" voters who were summoned for hearings stood at 31,68,426. Out of them, a little over 50,000 (1.57 per cent of the total unmapped voters) did not turn up for the hearing despite being served with repeated notices and hence had been identified by the EROs as eligible for deletion in the final voters' list, said sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal.

"The hearing sessions for the 'unmapped' voters have been completed, and currently, the hearings for 'logical discrepancy' cases are going on. It is now final that 1.57 per cent of the 'unmapped' voters are heading for deletion from the final voters' list. Now it is to be seen how many of the "logical discrepancy" cases are identified for deletion in the final voters' list," said sources in the CEO's office.

Unmapped voters are those who were unable to establish any link with the 2002 voters' list either through "self-mapping" or through "progeny mapping".

On the other hand, "logical discrepancy" cases are those in which unusual family-tree data were detected during "progeny" mapping.

The total number of voters identified as "logical discrepancy" cases and summoned for hearing stands at 94,49,132. The hearing for them is currently on, and the Election Commission of India is confident of completing their hearing processes within the scheduled deadline of February 7.

To recall, when the draft voters' list in West Bengal was published in December last year, it witnessed a deletion of 58,20,899 voters who were identified as deceased or shifted, or duplicate voters.

Now, when the final voters' list is published on February 14, the exact and final number of deleted voters will be clear.

After the publication of the final voters' list, the full bench of the ECI will visit West Bengal and assess the situation. After that, the Commission will announce the polling dates for the crucial Assembly elections in West Bengal scheduled later this year.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Interesting process. 1.6% seems like a small number, but it's still over 50,000 votes. I hope the "logical discrepancy" hearings are conducted fairly. Transparency is key here.
A
Aditya G
West Bengal elections are always heated. This cleanup is necessary, but I hope genuine voters who may have missed the hearing due to work or other reasons get another chance. The final list on Feb 14 will tell the full story.
P
Priyanka N
Respectfully, while the intent is good, the process seems complex for the common person. "Unmapped" and "logical discrepancy" – these terms can be confusing. The EC should run awareness campaigns in simple Bengali to explain this to everyone.
M
Michael C
The scale is massive. Nearly 95 lakh voters for "logical discrepancy" hearings? That's almost 10% of the state's population. The EC has a huge task to complete by tomorrow. Hope they manage it without errors.
K
Kavya N
After so many deletions in December, now more. This is a good sign for democracy. No room for bogus voters. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳

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