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New EC rules may pave way for exclusion, manipulation: TMC

New EC rules may pave way for exclusion, manipulation: TMC

Time of India7 hours ago
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Kolkata: Days after CM
Mamata Banerjee
raised objections to the Election Commission's (EC's) new voter roll guidelines, a five-member Trinamool delegation on Tuesday met EC officials at the poll body's headquarters in Delhi and submitted a memorandum outlining multiple concerns, and said the new directives could pave way for exclusion and manipulation of voter lists ahead of the 2026 assembly elections in Bengal.
The delegation included Kalyan Banerjee, Firhad Hakim, Chandrima Bhattacharya, Arup Biswas and Prakashchik Baraik. At the meeting, it questioned recent circulars mandating birth certificates of voters' parents and other documents as part of the special summary revision. The party called the directive "impractical" and potentially exclusionary.
Addressing the media after the meeting, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said, "The EC claims the motive is to ensure no voter is left behind, but the circulars imply the opposite — eligibility is being prioritised over inclusion.
We made it clear that those who were voters in 2024 should continue to remain on the rolls. The EC assured us that voters already enrolled will not be removed arbitrarily."
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On the requirement of birth certificates for those born between 1987 and 2003, Banerjee said EC clarified that such documents would not be mandatory for already-enrolled voters. He added that any new additions would be subject to verification but not on the basis of one document alone.
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TMC also raised concerns about voters being added in bulk suddenly just before the elections, especially individuals aged between 50 and 60 years. The party alleged that this had occurred in Delhi, Maharashtra and Haryana.
Banerjee said the party had asked EC for a cut-off for inclusion of such voters and sought a mechanism by which political parties are allowed to verify voters being added. "We are not against new voters but they should be legitimate and within the 18-21 age-group.
The inclusion of thousands of older voters compromises the process," he added.
On Aadhaar linking and submission of photos at the booth level, TMC said it objected to what it described as a breach of privacy. According to the delegation, EC officials said Aadhaar linking was voluntary and that it would review the process to safeguard identity data.
Bengal minister and Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim alleged that central forces often enter polling booths and influence voters.
"We have asked that if central forces are deployed, state police are also present for balance. No force should enter the actual voting area unless there's unrest," he said.
The TMC delegation also flagged delays in publication of voter turnout data and raised concerns about institutional neutrality, citing the Bengal governor's visits to politically-sensitive areas during elections. It also demanded action against Union home minister Amit Shah for making a political speech during an official programme ahead of a bypoll. "EC said they would examine the issue," said Hakim.
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