EC Adds Around 7 Lakh New Voters In Bengal Ahead Of Polls

Kolkata: The Election Commission has added around seven lakh new voters to the West Bengal electoral rolls days ahead of the assembly polls, with the Commission yet to disclose the age or gender break-up of this additional electorate.

Around 3.22 lakh of these new electors will vote in the first phase, while the remaining nearly 3.88 lakh voters will exercise their franchise in the second phase, PTI reported on Saturday, citing a senior official of the poll body.

The commission, however, has not specified how many among these new entrants are first-time voters who have just turned 18, nor has it given a detailed gender breakdown of these voters.

The commission has also not disclosed the number of Form-6 applications received for inclusion in the rolls or how many of them were rejected. “The aggregate figures have been released in line with norms. Detailed data is maintained separately and may be shared later if required,” the senior EC official said.

The total electorate in the state now stands at 6,82,51,008, which may increase if names are added following tribunal orders, the EC said.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal on Saturday held a virtual review meeting with senior police officers during which he said that any disturbance on polling day will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

Addressing Superintendents of Police and Commissioners of Police ahead of the first phase of polling scheduled for April 23, Agarwal said swift and decisive action must be taken in case of any untoward incident on election day.

“Any lapse in maintaining law and order will be viewed seriously, and officers-in-charge may face suspension,” the CEO cautioned, according to sources present in the meeting.

The CEO further directed police officers to act immediately if any arms, ammunition or explosives are recovered from any area during polling. “In such cases, responsibility will lie with the concerned police station. Failure to act promptly will invite strict action from the Election Commission,” he said.

Agarwal also questioned delays in arresting individuals accused of violence during previous elections, and asked districts to identify habitual offenders and those with a history of poll-related offences.

The first phase of the polls in Bengal, scheduled on April 23, will be held across 152 assembly constituencies and will cover the districts of Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Uttar and Dakshin Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, Paschim Medinipur, Paschim Bardhaman, and parts of Birbhum and Nadia.