Final electoral roll shows uniform increase of voters in Bengal

SOUMITRA NANDI | MP | 24 JANUARY 21 | Kolkata: A close scrutiny of the final electoral roll published by the Election Commission recently has witnessed a uniform increase in the number of voters across all districts in comparison with the draft electoral roll negating BJP's claim that Rohingyas and Bangladeshi infiltrations have resulted in abnormal increase of voters' count in the bordering districts. 

As per figures of the Commission, the increase of voters in South 24-Parganas has been 2.33 per cent while North 24-Parganas has witnessed a net increase of 1.94 per cent. Nadia has seen a rise of 1.88 per cent. Murshidabad has witnessed a rise of 1.95 per cent. 

The total number of voters in South 24-Parganas was 8005181 in the draft roll. The number has risen to 8191400, registering a net increase of 186219. 

In North 24-Parganas, the number of voters has gone up from 7823833 to 7975444, registering a net increase of 151611. Nadia has 4276893 voters against 4198165 in the draft roll, with a net increase of 78728. 

Voters in Murshidabad have gone up from 5384709 to 5489492 with a net increase of 104783. In North Bengal, Cooch Behar registered an increase of 1.75 per cent voters. 

Alipurduar witnessed 2.53 per cent increase while Darjeeling and Malda both saw net increase of 2 per cent. Cooch Behar, which had 2299051 voters, presently has 2339171 voters with a net increase of 40120. Alipurduar had 1214935 voters against 1245653 at present with a net increase of 30718 voters. 

Darjeeling had 1222190 voters up from 1198260 (net increase 23930) and Malda had 2996950 voters, with net increase being 58742. Districts like West Burdwan and Purulia have the highest percentage of net increase in voters with 2.78 and 2.69 respectively though neither of these states shares its border with any other state or country and is beyond the ambit of an infiltration. 

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, who led the full bench of the Commission to Bengal, has also ruled out any verification of the final electoral roll. 

"The final electoral roll bears testimony to the fact that there has been no abnormal rise in voters in any of the bordering states," a senior Commission official said. 

Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee said: "BJP's allegations about 4.5 lakh increase of voters due to Rohingya and Bangladeshi infiltration is a pressure tactic on the Commission. It is an attempt to create an atmosphere of apprehension among the voters so that they hesitate to come out for exercising their franchise."

(http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/final-electoral-roll-shows-uniform-increase-of-voters-in-bengal-430049)