Activists warn SIR could disenfranchise Bengal voters ahead of polls
Activists warn SIR could disenfranchise Bengal voters ahead of polls
Analysts warn the Special Intensive Revision may remove millions from voter rolls in West Bengal, framing SIR as a political tool to dilute universal franchise ahead of elections.
In Kolkata, activists and public intellectuals warned that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) could lead to the largest disenfranchisement in the history of the nation, with West Bengal as the focal point. They argued that SIR is being used to wield state machinery for political advantage ahead of Assembly polls. "From the very first day I have maintained that SIR was always meant for Bengal. Bihar was just the testing ground… SIR is a votebandi exercise set to undermine the universality of India’s universal adult franchise," one speaker stated at a Kolkata public event organized by civil society groups.
If the deletions from the electoral roll approach the one crore mark, the activist warned, West Bengal would experience the largest disenfranchisement in Indian history, if not the world. The claim was echoed by other analysts and BLOs who have reportedly sought a deadline extension, saying the workload is already unmanageable and Bengal is clearly targeted by the exercise.
The critics also argued that SIR is a prelude to delimitation and a potential backdoor route to dilute votes in states where the Bharatiya Janata Party is less sure of its support. They pointed to the Assam Accord and a October 2024 Supreme Court judgment concerning foreign immigrants in Assam to suggest that if concerns about illegal immigration were genuinely the priority, Assam should have been the first state for SIR. In this sense, Bengal is viewed as the main testing ground before broader rollout.
Akhilesh Yadav, a prominent opposition figure, raised his own charge, alleging that the Election Commission and BJP collude to remove tens of thousands of votes in seats won by INDIA bloc parties in 2024. He urged extending the timeline for the voter roll cleanup and asked citizens to verify their enrollment to safeguard their rights. The debate intensified as various voices urged authorities to halt SIR in Bengal while stressing the importance of a fair and transparent process that upholds the universal franchise.
Cover image source: BJP, ECI plan to delete over 50,000 votes in seats won by INDIA bloc, SP in 2024: Akhilesh 🔗
