The hearing phase for claims and objections to the draft voters’ list in West Bengal wrapped up, identifying 4.98 lakh names for potential deletion from the final list. These individuals, who skipped the sessions despite notices, are now considered for exclusion. Initially, 6.25 lakh voters had abstained from the hearings.
On the final day, more than 1,00,000 voters attended, reducing the count to 4.98 lakh by the end of Saturday. During the enumeration phase, over 58 lakh voters, including deceased and duplicate entries, were already excluded from the draft list released last December.
The 4.98 lakh names identified during the hearing phase will be added to the existing count of ineligible voters. However, the exact number of deletions will only be known after the final voters’ list is published on February 28. The scrutiny of identity documents submitted by attendees will continue until February 21.
The highest number of absentees was noted in North 24 Parganas district, with about 1.38 lakh, followed by South 24 Parganas and Kolkata (Dakshin) with around 46,000 and 22,000 respectively. Kalimpong district had the lowest absentee count at just 440.
After the final voters’ list release, the Election Commission of India (ECI) will visit West Bengal for a two-day review. The ECI will then decide on the schedule for the upcoming Assembly elections. West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer has suggested a single-phase election, but the final call rests with the Commission.
In previous elections, West Bengal polls were conducted in multiple phases, unlike the proposed single-phase election this year. The last time the state had a single-phase Assembly election was in 2001.
