Kolkata, 19 January (H.S.): More than 900,000 applications have been received so far for inclusion of names in the electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of the voter list in West Bengal, reflecting strong public participation in the process, according to data released by the Election Commission.

Official figures show that before the publication of the draft electoral roll on December 16, a total of 331,075 individuals had applied for inclusion of their names. Following the release of the draft list, an additional 559,053 applications were submitted within a month. With this, the cumulative number of applications has reached 900,128.

The Election Commission had earlier clarified that after the publication of the draft roll, both voters and political parties would be given an opportunity to apply for inclusion of names and to raise objections. In line with this, January 19 was fixed as the final date for submission of applications and objections in West Bengal. No fresh applications will be accepted after this deadline until the publication of the final electoral roll.

While the application process is nearing completion, the Commission has stated that hearings will continue until February 7. Voters who are called for hearings will also be allowed to submit the required documents online, a facility aimed at assisting those who are staying outside their native areas due to work or other reasons.

As part of the Special Intensive Revision, door-to-door verification and collection of enumeration forms have also been intensified. The Election Commission believes that the large volume of applications will help make the voter list more accurate and up to date, thereby ensuring greater transparency and credibility in the upcoming elections.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh