A large-scale revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal, known as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), has inadvertently triggered an exodus of hundreds of suspected illegal Bangladeshi migrants. These individuals, reportedly residing in the state for years and possessing documents like Aadhaar and Voter IDs, are reportedly returning to Bangladesh out of fear that the voter registration drive might be a precursor to the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and subsequent deportation.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has strongly criticized the ongoing SIR, describing it as “unplanned, chaotic and dangerous” in a letter addressed to the Election Commission of India. She has called for immediate intervention, pointing to severe shortcomings in the process, including insufficient training for enumerators, ambiguous documentation rules, and the difficulty for citizens to comply with the requirements amidst their daily work.
Banerjee’s letter to the Chief Election Commissioner detailed how “critical gaps in training, lack of clarity on mandatory documentation and the near-impossibility of meeting voters in the midst of their livelihood schedules have made the exercise structurally unsound.” The current situation is described as “deeply alarming.”
The Chief Minister also drew attention to the severe strain on Booth Level Officers (BLOs). Many BLOs, who are also engaged in other professions like teaching, are reportedly struggling with the overwhelming workload, including door-to-door surveys and complex online data entry. Issues such as inadequate training, frequent server problems, and data discrepancies are reportedly leading to inaccuracies in the voter list and raising concerns about electoral integrity.
Furthermore, Banerjee highlighted that the SIR coincides with crucial agricultural periods, namely the paddy harvest and Rabi sowing, which significantly limits the availability of farmers and labourers. The intense pressure on BLOs has reportedly resulted in extreme working conditions and even fatalities, with a BLO in Jalpaiguri reportedly dying by suicide. The Chief Minister is urging the poll body to halt the current SIR, provide necessary support, and reconsider the entire approach to ensure fairness and accuracy in the electoral process.