Source Deccan Herald
Kolkata:In a bizarre case highlighting alleged flaws in electoral roll verification, Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillor Surya Dey has been declared “dead” in the draft electoral rolls, prompting sharp criticism and political outrage in West Bengal.
Reacting sarcastically to the development, Dey said officials should conduct his last rites if he has indeed been shown as deceased on paper. “If the records say I am dead, then let the officials cremate me. I am very much alive and attending to my public duties,” the councillor remarked, calling the incident a serious administrative lapse.
According to Dey, his name was marked as “dead” in the recently published draft voter list despite there being no request or legal process initiated for deletion. The error came to light when party workers and residents flagged the discrepancy during routine checks of the rolls.
The councillor warned that such mistakes could disenfranchise genuine voters and undermine public trust in the electoral process. “If an elected representative can be declared dead without verification, imagine what ordinary citizens are facing,” he said, demanding immediate correction and accountability.
The issue has also sparked a political row, with the TMC alleging negligence on the part of officials involved in updating the electoral rolls. The party has sought a thorough inquiry, asserting that similar errors have been reported in other parts of the state as well.
Election officials, meanwhile, have acknowledged the complaint and assured that the matter will be examined. Sources said corrections can be made during the claims and objections period, and affected voters have been advised to submit necessary documents to rectify errors.
The incident comes at a time when the accuracy of electoral rolls is under heightened scrutiny ahead of upcoming elections, with political parties closely monitoring revisions to ensure no eligible voter is wrongly excluded.
