Bengal's Battle Against Ghost Voters: A Unique Identification Challenge

In West Bengal, a discrepancy has been identified in Aadhaar card records, revealing 34 lakh deceased cardholders and 13 lakh individuals who never had an Aadhaar card. This was disclosed during a meeting aimed at rectifying electoral rolls through coordination between UIDAI and election officials.

Reports from West Bengal indicate a significant issue with Aadhaar card records, showing that approximately 34 lakh cardholders have been marked as deceased since the introduction of the identity card in 2009, according to UIDAI officials.

Further findings reveal that around 13 lakh residents who never held an Aadhaar card have also passed away, complicating the ongoing effort to cleanse electoral rolls. This information emerged during a recent meeting between UIDAI and the state's Chief Electoral Officer, Manoj Kumar Agarwal.

Efforts are underway to rectify the impact of ghost and deceased voters on electoral rolls, with Booth Level Officers conducting door-to-door verifications. The exercise aims to eliminate these inaccuracies by December 9, under strict scrutiny by Electoral Registration Officers.

(With inputs from agencies.)