Kolkata, Sept. 14 -- TMC Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam on Monday urged the Election Commission (EC) to ensure that deletions from the electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) do not affect voting in the October 6 bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar.
In a letter to the poll panel, Islam said the electoral process had acquired an additional dimension as several lakh voters excluded during the Special Intensive Revision exercise were still awaiting adjudication of their claims and appeals.
He stressed that every eligible citizen must have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote.
Islam pointed out that the bypolls were scheduled while the process of deciding the pending claims remained underway, creating the possibility that voters whose claims are subsequently upheld could still be unable to cast their ballots on October 6.
He urged the EC to take proactive measures to expedite pending cases before polling and ensure that legitimate voters restored to the
rolls can participate.
The MP said the issue underlined the broader challenge of maintaining accurate electoral rolls while preventing the inadvertent exclusion of eligible voters.
With the Bengal bypolls approaching, he said the handling of pending SIR claims would be a key test of electoral inclusiveness.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.