Siliguri, March 8 -- Several names of Adivasi community people were removed from the voter list following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. Raising concerns over the issue, Siliguri Mayor and senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Gautam Deb has decided to write to the President of India, urging her to stand with the affected people-especially tribal women-and take the necessary steps to restore their names to the electoral roll.

Addressing a press conference at the Darjeeling district TMC office on Sunday, Deb questioned whether the President would support those whose names were removed and intervene to ensure their voting rights are reinstated.

Speaking to the media, Deb said: "Due to the SIR process, many people's names have been deleted from the voter list. Even those who have been voting for many years have found their names deleted. Among them are several Adivasi people from tea

garden areas."

He further added that the President had visited the region on Saturday to attend a programme related to the Adivasi community and has a close association with the community. "As a citizen of India, the Mayor of Siliguri and a member of the TMC core committee, I will send a letter to the President.

I will request her to use her authority to intervene with the Election Commission so that the voting rights of these people can be restored," Deb said.

Deb also alleged that the Election Commission removed the names under the influence of the central government and appealed to the President to step in and ensure justice for the affected voters. "Will she stand beside them? That is the question.

I hope she will support them and help restore their voting rights," he added.

According to available information, 31,165 names have been removed from the voter list in the Siliguri Assembly constituency.

In Matigara-Naxalbari block, the number stands at 28,360, while 18,360 names have been deleted in Phansidewa and 38,377 in the Dabgram-Fulbari

Assembly constituency.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.