Kolkata, Dec 4 (IANS) The number of booths in West Bengal identified as not having a single deceased voter, or a duplicate voter with names in two places, or any voter who has shifted elsewhere, has undergone a drastic revision and dropped to just 29 as on Wednesday evening.
This marks a steep fall from the abysmal figure of 2,208 reported on Monday evening, which subsequently declined to 480 on Tuesday evening.
As on Monday evening, the Election Commission of India (ECI) identified 2,208 polling booths in West Bengal that did not have a single “deceased” voter or “duplicate” voter or “shifted” voter.
Sensing absurdity in this phenomenon, the commission sought detailed reports from the district magistrates (also the district electoral officers) concerned.
Within 24 hours, that is as on Tuesday evening, the district magistrates submitted fresh reports to the commission, and the number of electoral booths appearing to have not a single “deceased” voter or “duplicate” voter or “shifted” voter came down to 480.
Insiders from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, said that not being satisfied with the revised figure of 480 as on Tuesday night, the commission directed a further round of verification and review.
And now, as per Wednesday evening’s report, the number of booths not having a single “deceased” voter or “duplicate” voter or “shifted” voter has declined further to just 29.
As per the latest figures of the ECI, the maximum decline has taken place in South 24 Parganas district, where the current figure as on Wednesday evening is 20 compared to 760 as on Monday night.
State leaders of the BJP claimed that, going by the pattern of decline over the last 38 hours, it would not be surprising if the number of booths showing not a single “deceased” voter or “duplicate” voter or “shifted” voter comes down to zero by Thursday evening.
–IANS
src/pgh
