Unmapped Voters Face Challenges as Electoral Roll Hearings Begin in West Bengal

Thousands of voters in West Bengal attended hearings as part of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, facing confusion and anxiety over discrepancies in their details. This process aims to update the electoral list by February, with many elderly and unmapped voters struggling to rectify their entries.

In West Bengal, hearings commenced under the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, drawing thousands of concerned voters, according to election officials. The process aims to address discrepancies, with a primary focus on individuals termed 'unmapped voters' due to missing or incorrect details related to the 2002 electoral data.

Many voters, including elderly participants, faced challenges navigating this process. Ankita Mukherjee, a software professional, traveled from Chennai to Barasat to resolve discrepancies in her records, highlighting the impact these errors have had on people's lives. Similar stories unfolded across the state as uninformed voters queued, hoping to secure their democratic rights.

Over 32 lakh unmapped voters have been affected, following a draft publication of the electoral rolls that saw over 58 lakh names deleted for reasons such as death and migration. As the state pushes closer to the final update in February, the prioritization of rectifying these issues remains critical.

(With inputs from agencies.)