Kolkata: Asserting that no eligible voter’s name would be removed from the electoral rolls in West Bengal, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Tuesday said the EC’s priority was to ensure free, fair and peaceful polls in the state as it stepped up preparations for the upcoming assembly elections, amid a charged political atmosphere.
Addressing a press conference here after a series of meetings with political parties and senior administrative officials, Kumar said the people of West Bengal have always believed in “peaceful and participatory democracy”.
“We aim to ensure free, fair and peaceful polls in Bengal,” he said, emphasising that every eligible voter will have the opportunity to cast their ballot.
He also said that law enforcement agencies must ensure cash, liquor, narcotics and contraband substances are kept out of the boundaries of Bengal.
“Democracy runs very deep in West Bengal. Voting percentage in the state has remained very high. Electors and the public at large respect the Constitution and believe in peaceful and participatory elections,” the CEC said.
“The commission appeals to all voters of the state to ensure that polling takes place in a violence-free and intimidation-free atmosphere,” he added.
Speaking at the conference, Kumar also coined the Bengali slogan, “Chunao porbo, Pashchim Bongo’r gorbo”, meaning election time is the pride of Bengal.
Speaking on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, the CEC also assured that no eligible voter’s name would be removed from electoral rolls.
“Recently, the final electoral roll of West Bengal, which was released, has a total of 7 crore 8 lakh names, and if those under adjudication are removed, then the names of 6,44,52,609 voters are listed as eligible voters in that list,” Kumar said.
“The aim is to ensure all genuine voters have their right to vote while no ineligible voter gets included in the rolls,” Kumar said, adding that electoral rolls were the bedrock of democracy.
