Mamata Banerjee’s Constituency Records Over 41,000 ‘Uncollectable’ Voter Forms
Bhawanipore constituency shows massive gap in electoral roll collection.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Bhawanipore Assembly constituency has reported 41,495 ‘uncollectable’ enumeration forms (EFs) as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Election Commission of India (ECI) stated. These forms, which Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have been unable to collect during the door-to-door verification process, highlight administrative and logistical challenges in updating voter lists in densely populated urban areas. The figures also reflect the complexities involved in tracing voters who have shifted, passed away, or have discrepancies in their entries.
The West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer’s office highlighted that the total number of uncollected EFs in Bhawanipore represents a significant portion of the constituency’s 2.6 lakh voters, with over 1.5 lakh forms already digitised. The uncollected forms include categories such as deceased voters, individuals permanently shifted to other locations or constituencies, untraceable residents, and duplicate entries. These gaps underline the importance of the SIR exercise in ensuring electoral integrity and preventing irregularities in voter rolls ahead of elections.
Across the Kolkata South electoral district, around 1.88 lakh EFs have been reported as uncollectable. The high number of uncollected forms reflects a combination of administrative hurdles, urban mobility, and data inconsistencies. The Election Commission has categorised these forms based on ASDD codes — dead, shifted, untraceable, and duplicate voters — as well as entries that could not be verified due to absence during the collection drive. This systematic categorisation aims to make the electoral rolls more accurate and transparent.
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The ruling Trinamool Congress leader had won the Bhawanipore seat in a 2021 bypoll after losing Nandigram to the BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari. The ongoing SIR exercise in her constituency and across Kolkata South is crucial to maintain clean and reliable electoral records, identify irregular or fraudulent entries, and ensure that all eligible voters are accounted for. The process also seeks to enhance transparency and trust in the electoral system, which is vital in a politically active region like West Bengal.
Election authorities continue to emphasise the importance of thorough verification to ensure every eligible voter is correctly listed while removing invalid, duplicate, or untraceable entries. The SIR process in Bhawanipore and across Kolkata South remains a critical step in preparing comprehensive and accurate voter lists, which are essential for the smooth conduct of upcoming elections and to safeguard the democratic process.
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