Kolkata, February 27: Ahead of the assembly elections, the Congress party will stage a protest in West Bengal on Friday regarding the ongoing Special Initiative for Registration (SIR). The party has accused the SIR of significant irregularities and is demanding the release of a flawless voter list.
Suvankar Sarkar, the president of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee, announced a 24-hour sit-in protest in front of the Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Kolkata, starting at 2 PM on Friday. He emphasized that the party has consistently maintained that no eligible voter’s name should be removed from the list, nor should any fraudulent names be added.
However, he alleged that the SIR process, which began on November 4 last year, is causing difficulties for genuine voters, with fears of mass deletions of names.
According to the state Congress president, over one million voters have been scrutinized based on so-called “logical discrepancies,” raising questions about the legal validity of this process. Sarkar also claimed that certain decisions by the Election Commission have necessitated repeated judicial interventions.
The Congress plans to intensify its movement in the coming days, demanding that the final voter list under the SIR be published by February 28, that no genuine voter’s name be excluded based on “logical discrepancies,” and that the legal powers of electoral registration officials not be diminished.
Additionally, they are calling for all applications submitted under Forms 6, 7, and 8 to be addressed through proper hearings, and for a new program and clear guidelines to be provided for eligible voters who have been mistakenly excluded, to be completed before the nomination process begins.
It is noteworthy that the Calcutta High Court has requested 200 judicial officers, including 100 each from the Odisha and Jharkhand High Courts. These officers will join the team already appointed to investigate and decide on the documents of voters identified under the “logical discrepancy” category.
My name is Bhupendra Singh Chundawat. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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