In a dramatic protest highlighting alleged flaws in West Bengal electoral rolls, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillor on Tuesday walked into a crematorium near Kolkata and demanded that his last rites be performed after his name appeared in the draft voter list under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) as “dead”.
The incident occurred hours after the Election Commission of India (ECI) published booth-wise lists of deceased and migrated voters ahead of the release of West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls.
‘Declared Dead on Paper’: Trinamool Leader’s Protest
Surya Dey, TMC councillor from Dankuni Municipality Ward 18, said he was shocked to find his name listed among the dead despite submitting all required documents during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
“Since the Commission has declared me dead, it should complete the process,” Dey told reporters while standing at Kalipur crematorium, surrounded by party supporters. “Let the officials come and cremate me.”
Calling it an administrative absurdity with dangerous consequences, Dey said if an elected representative could be erased from the rolls, ordinary voters were even more vulnerable.
West Bengal SIR: Over 58 Lakh Names Deleted
The controversy comes amid heightened political tensions after the ECI deleted over 58.20 lakh names from West Bengal’s voter list following the SIR exercise conducted between November 4 and December 11.
According to official data, the electorate has been reduced from 7.66 crore to 7.08 crore voters, with deletions attributed to death, migration, duplication, and non-submission of enumeration forms
TMC Targets Election Commission
Dey alleged a “conspiracy” behind the deletion and held Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar responsible. TMC spokesperson Arup Chakraborty amplified the issue on social media, questioning whether the exercise was voter revision or voter erasure.
The Trinamool Congress has argued that the draft rolls puncture opposition claims of large-scale “ghost voters” while simultaneously raising concerns about genuine voters being excluded.
The Election Commission has not yet responded to the specific allegation.
Political Flashpoint Ahead of State Elections
The episode has sharpened political fault lines in the state ahead of elections due next year, with the verification and claims-objections phase expected to be contentious.
Standing at the crematorium, Dey summed up his protest bluntly:
“I walked here myself. I am breathing, talking, protesting. If this is how voters are treated, democracy itself is being taken to the pyre.”
Official updates from the West Bengal Government https://wb.gov.in/
Stay tuned to Global India Broadcast News for Top Stories, Breaking News, Live Updates, and Latest Global Headlines.