SIR in Bengal: Abhishek Banerjee challenges ECI to publish separate list of ‘logical discrepancy’ cases
Kolkata, Dec. 27 (IANS) – Trinamool Congress General Secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee confronted the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday, demanding that the commission issue a distinct list of 1.36 million voters flagged as “logical discrepancy” cases identified during progeny‑mapping.
“In the next 24 hours the commission must release a clear, separate count of the 1.36 million ‘logical discrepancy’ cases,” Banerjee told reporters. “If it fails to do so, I will organize a ‘gherao’ at the ECI headquarters in New Delhi.” He added that he will meet Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on December 31 to press the same point.
The “logical discrepancy” label is used for voters whose family‑tree data, uncovered in progeny‑mapping, appear statistically unlikely. This includes voters who supposedly became fathers before age 15, grandfathers before age 40, or have parents with identical names, among other anomalies.
These flagged voters will be called for hearing during the second stage of the draft voters’ list objections that began on Saturday. The first‑stage hearings focus on “unmapped” voters—those who cannot be linked to the 2002 voters’ list either through self‑mapping or progeny‑mapping.
Speaking to the media on Saturday afternoon, Banerjee posed two questions about the EC’s methodology. “How could the commission determine the figure of 1.35 million ‘logical discrepancy’ cases in a single day after booth‑level officers spent over a month collecting door‑to‑door data?” he asked. “Why is the Commission revealing these figures selectively via WhatsApp rather than issuing a formal press release?”
The MP also accused Seema Khanna, the EC’s Director General (Information Technology), of influencing the process and disputed her authority in the electoral revision exercise. In addition, he questioned why the ECI has not extended the deadline for the Sample Integrity Review (SIR) in West Bengal—a deadline that has already been extended in other states where parallel revisions are underway.
“We see West Bengal’s people suffering because of the rushed revision schedule,” Banerjee said. He cited reports that 51 individuals—including 29 booth‑level officers (BLOs)—have made suicide attempts related to the SIR; 45 people have lost their lives. “This is unacceptable.”
The Trinamool leader also criticized the silence of elected BJP Lok Sabha members regarding the central government’s reluctance to release funds for West Bengal under various central‑sponsored welfare schemes. “The central government is elected by the people of West Bengal, and therefore it has a responsibility to speak on their behalf,” Banerjee asserted.
Source: IANS; photo credit: khz
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