Bengal: 51%-65% match between current voter lists, 2002 SIR data in 7 districts

KOLKATA: Between 51.3% and 65.2% of voters in seven districts in Bengal have their names on the 2025 electoral roll as well as the list prepared after a special intensive revision (SIR) in 2002, the Election Commission has found during a mapping of the voters' list.The figure for Kolkata North, counted as an electoral district, is 55.3%.The data from the comparison of the two electoral lists - which is being done to lay the ground for yet another round of SIR, to be rolled out in Bengal ahead of next year's assembly polls - has been uploaded on the EC portal.

Kalimpong tops the list of seven districts with 65.2% vot-ers having their names on both lists, followed by West Midnapore (62.9%) and Purulia (61.2%).

At the bottom is Jhargram (51.3%), preceded by Alipurduar (53.7%).Children of voters with names on both lists can skip the rigorous SIR screening by showing their parents' identity documents, an EC official said. The process to enrol as new voters will also be simpler for the children of those voters compared with others.Name match percentage lowest in Jhargram: CEOBengal CEO Manoj Agarwal said the percentage of name match was lowest in Jhargram because a large number of tribals in the district did not have any identity card when SIR was last conducted in the state in 2002.

He said the names of all genuine voters will be included in the list to be prepared after the fresh SIR even if their names were not on the 2002 roll or their parents' names don't figure on both lists. Many people who had been issued EPICs in 1995 did not find their names on the 2002 list, Agarwal said. "So, there is nothing to worry about. One should not be tense about it if they have alternative documents," he said. "If the names match, it will be easier to process the SIR.

"During a recent interaction with deputy election commissioner Gyanesh Bharti in Rajarhat, several BLOs from North 24 Parganas said many names on the 2002 list are not there on the latest electoral roll.(With inputs by Sujoy Khanra in Midnapore)