Why Did the Number of Booths with 'Zero Deceased, Duplicate, or Shifted Voters' Plummet in Bengal?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- The number of polling booths in West Bengal without deceased or duplicate voters has drastically dropped.
- The count fell from 2,208 to just 29 in a span of days.
- South 24 Parganas district reported the largest decline.
- Political leaders are raising concerns over electoral integrity.
- Ongoing investigations by the Election Commission are crucial for transparency.
Kolkata, Dec 4 (NationPress) The tally of polling booths in West Bengal that are devoid of any deceased voters, duplicate entries, or voters who have relocated has seen a dramatic reduction, plummeting to just 29 as of Wednesday evening.
This significant drop follows an earlier count of 2,208 reported on Monday evening, which was later adjusted to 480 by Tuesday evening.
Initially, on Monday evening, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had flagged 2,208 polling booths in West Bengal that supposedly did not contain any “deceased,” “duplicate,” or “shifted” voters.
Acknowledging the absurdity of this situation, the commission requested comprehensive reports from the relevant district magistrates, who also serve as district electoral officers.
Within a mere 24 hours, by Tuesday evening, updated reports from the magistrates revealed that the number of booths without any “deceased,” “duplicate,” or “shifted” voters had been revised to 480.
However, unsatisfied with this revised count, the commission mandated another round of checks and evaluations.
As of the latest report on Wednesday evening, the figure has further decreased to only 29 booths.
According to the latest data from the ECI, the most significant drop occurred in the South 24 Parganas district, where the count fell from 760 on Monday night to just 20 by Wednesday evening.
Leaders from the BJP in the state expressed that, given the trend of reduction observed over the past 38 hours, it would not be surprising if the number of booths with no “deceased,” “duplicate,” or “shifted” voters reaches zero by Thursday evening.