Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], October 25 : Amid the ongoing debate over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across West Bengal, the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Samik Bhattacharya has urged for a thorough and transparent revision of the state's voter list, citing widespread discrepancies and the need for fair elections.
Speaking to mediapersons, State BJP President Samik Bhattacharya stressed the importance of maintaining integrity in the electoral process, especially ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
"The people of West Bengal want the correct voter list to be presented before them. The names of the deceased, the names of infiltrators, and the elections being held by listing one name in four places should be stopped," Bhattacharya said.
The BJP leader emphasised that the exercise should ensure accuracy and fairness, adding that any manipulation or duplication in the voter list undermines the democratic process.
Meanwhile, on October 18, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar charged that the Trinamool Congress's fierce opposition to the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exposes the party's dependence on "fake names, dead voters, shifted voters and infiltrators" as its vote bank.
Majumdar further added that the EC told the Supreme Court that SIR will be implemented nationwide and questioned why Mamata Banerjee is "so vigorously opposing" the exercise.
Earlier, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose expressed confidence in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, saying that India's democracy is "mature" and that any concerns arising from the process will be resolved within the constitutional and legal framework.
Speaking to reporters in Kolkata, Governor Bose said, "That's an issue which will be sorted out by the Election Commission of India, which has all the authority and the gravitas to do it well. India has a mature democracy where these issues will be sorted out within the Constitution, within the laws of the land."