TMC MP alleges harassment as four 'unmapped' family members called for SIR hearings

Kolkata, Dec 27 (PTI) Trinamool Congress MP Kakali Ghosh Dastidar on Saturday claimed that four members of her family have been called for hearings under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal and accused the Election Commission of harassing voters.

The MP's two sons, mother and younger sister received the notices.

While Dastidar's mother and sister reside in Madhyamgram under her Barasat Lok Sabha constituency, her two sons live in south Kolkata.

"It is baffling why the names of my two sons - whose father is a former West Bengal minister and mother an MP for several terms - have not been mapped. It is also incomprehensible that the names of my nonagenarian mother and sister - both long-time voters in Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district - were suddenly omitted from the draft electoral rolls," Dastidar claimed.

She alleged that the SIR of electoral rolls is "nothing but harassment of my family".

The MP, whose husband Sudarshan Ghosh Dastidar was a former minister and a doctor by profession, said her "unmapped" family members might visit the camp later.

Both of her sons are also doctors.

The poll panel had said those aged 85 or above won't have to go all the way to the hearing centres and would be visited by its officials at their residences.

"Let's see. But I will take up the issue of unmapping genuine voters in a big way," she said in response to a question.

Meanwhile, the EC in a statement termed her claim as "misleading." Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal said "the claim is misleading. The enumeration forms clearly show that there is no linkage. So they have been called for hearing as per relevant provisions of the notification of EC." Hearings under the SIR began in West Bengal on Saturday with people queuing up in front of 3,234 centres across the state, a senior official said.

Around 32 lakh 'unmapped' voters, those who were unable to establish linkage with the 2002 electoral rolls, would be called for hearings in the first phase, he said. PTI SUS BDC MNB