Activist flags ‘due process violations’ in Bengal electoral roll revision

By A Representative 

Human rights activist Kirity Roy has written to the Election Commission of India alleging large-scale and arbitrary deletion of voters’ names from the electoral rolls in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal, raising concerns over violations of constitutional and statutory safeguards.

In a letter dated April 23, Roy, who serves as Secretary of the Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha, flagged what he described as serious procedural irregularities in the removal of names from the electoral roll in Batrigachh Fragment under the Sitai Assembly constituency. He alleged that a significant number of eligible voters were struck off without due process, in contravention of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, as well as constitutional guarantees under Articles 14 and 326.

The complaint highlights that many of those affected belong to erstwhile enclave areas integrated into India following the Land Boundary Agreement, 2015, implemented in line with the Indira–Mujib Agreement, 1974. Roy argued that residents of these enclaves were granted Indian citizenship and full electoral rights after the agreement, and that the present deletions undermine those commitments.

Citing findings from a fact-finding exercise, the letter states that in one polling booth, around 150 out of 1,166 registered voters were removed, disproportionately affecting women and marginalized communities. It further alleges that many individuals were treated as non-citizens and deleted from the rolls without notice, verification, or an opportunity to be heard, in violation of principles of natural justice.

The letter details specific cases, including that of Rabiya Bibi, a resident of Batrigachh Fragment who has been voting since 2016 and whose family was part of the enclave exchange process, but whose name was allegedly deleted despite valid documentation. A similar claim was made in the case of Khoteja Khatun Bibi, whose name was reportedly removed during a Special Intensive Revision without prior notice or hearing. Both individuals have submitted representations to the district authorities.

Roy said that several complaints filed by affected voters remain pending without any reasoned orders, compounding the alleged illegality. He urged the Commission to immediately restore the deleted names, order an independent and time-bound inquiry into the matter, and put in place safeguards to prevent arbitrary deletions in enclave-affected areas.

The representation also called for a stay on further deletions in the concerned region until due process is ensured, stressing that the right to vote is a foundational democratic entitlement and that its denial undermines the integrity of the electoral process.