TMC to conduct booth-level voter list verification in dists

Jalpaiguri: Under the leadership of Dhupguri MLA Nirmal Chandra Roy, Trinamool Congress (TMC) will conduct booth-level voter list verification to identify and remove alleged fake voters in Jalpaiguri.

The party will focus on Hindi-speaking areas in Dhupguri, Nagrakata, and Dabgram-Phulbari assembly constituencies. Roy has been appointed to the core committee on voter list verification, formed under TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee’s directive.

At a meeting in Netaji Indoor Stadium on Thursday, Banerjee instructed party leaders to scrutinise voter lists in every district before the upcoming assembly elections. She alleged that the BJP is behind the inclusion of non-residents in the voter rolls and called for their removal.

According to official sources, the district had 18.83 lakh voters during last year’s Lok Sabha elections.

As of February, the number has risen to over 19.02 lakh, an increase of 19,000 across seven Assembly constituencies.

Official statistics show that the Dabgram-Phulbari constituency, which includes Hindi-speaking areas near Siliguri, has the highest voter count at 3.23 lakh. Dhupguri has 2.71 lakh voters, including several Hindi-speaking zones like Goyerkata. Nagrakata has 2.43 lakh voters, Mal has 2.65 lakh, Rajganj has 2.56 lakh, Jalpaiguri Sadar has 2.68 lakh, and Maynaguri has 2.74 lakh voters.

Speaking on the matter, Roy stated: “Following the party leader’s instructions, we will primarily focus on Hindi-speaking areas, where the BJP is allegedly aiding outsiders in registering as voters. We will conduct booth-level verification and submit a written complaint to the district election office requesting the removal of such names.”

Trinamool leaders claim that many non-residents, particularly Hindi speakers, have settled in the district under the guise of small businesses, using ration cards and Aadhaar cards to register as voters. The party alleges that the BJP has played a role in facilitating this process.

District Trinamool President Mahua Gope added, “After returning to the district, we will hold a party meeting and begin booth-wise voter list checking.” Commenting on the process, District Election Department OC Praveen Lama said: “If a voter’s name appears in multiple locations, the Election Commission provides a list of such cases and necessary corrections are made accordingly.”