Bengal SIR Phase I: Chowringhee assembly constituency tops voter exclusion list; Kotulpur records minimum deletions

Kolkata, Dec 17 (IANS) The publication of West Bengal’s draft electoral roll has marked the conclusion of the first stage of the three-stage Special Intensive Revision (SIR), with Chowringhee Assembly constituency in North Kolkata recording the state’s highest exclusion of voters from the earlier list as of October this year, while Kotulpur in Bankura district registered the lowest.

A total of 74,510 voters were excluded from the Chowringhee list. The constituency is represented by Trinamool Congress MLA Nayna Bandyopadhyay, an actress-turned-politician and wife of four-time Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Sudip Bandopadhyay.

At the other end of the spectrum, Kotulpur registered only 5,678 exclusions. The constituency is represented by Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Harakali Protiher.

Jorasanko, also in North Kolkata, reported the second-highest number of exclusion of voters at 72,899. The seat is held by Trinamool Congress MLA Vivek Gupta. Ballygunge in South Kolkata followed with 65,165 exclusions. The constituency is represented by State Tourism Minister Babul Supriyo, a singer-turned-politician.

The minority-dominated Kolkata Port constituency, located on the northern outskirts of the city, recorded 63,717 exclusions. The seat is represented by Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim, who is also the Mayor of Kolkata.

Other constituencies with large numbers of exclusions include Howrah Uttar with 60,436, Beleghata with 56,493, Kashipur-Belghachhia with 53,493, and Shyampukur with 42,304. Howrah Uttar falls in the adjoining Howrah district, while the remaining constituencies are within Kolkata.

On the other hand, apart from Kotulpur, the other constituencies that witnessed the lowest exclusion of voters are Pataspur in East Midnapore district at 6,418, Karimpur in Nadia district at 6,559, Nandakumar and Mahishadal (both in East Midnapore district) at 6,651 and 6,680, respectively.

Across the state’s 294 Assembly constituencies, the total number of excluded voters stands at 58,20,899. The exclusions include names of deceased voters, those who have shifted residence, untraceable voters, duplicate entries, and voters removed for other valid reasons.

--IANS