West Bengal: Muslim-majority Murshidabad, Malda record highest number of voters pending SIR scrutiny

Kolkata, Feb 28 (PTI) The Muslim-dominated districts of Murshidabad and Malda have the highest number of voters whose documents are yet to be scrutinised, according to the final electoral rolls issued by the Election Commission following the SIR exercise in West Bengal.

A total of 60.06 lakh voters have been marked as 'under adjudication' in the final electoral rolls, pending verification. Among them, 11.01 lakh are in Murshidabad, and 8.28 lakh in Malda, officials said.

There are 5.91 lakh such voters in North 24 Parganas and 5.22 lakh in South 24 Parganas, they said.

Other districts with a significant number of voters listed as 'under adjudication' are Uttar Dinajpur (4.80 lakh), Purba Bardhaman (3.65 lakh), Howrah (2.89 lakh), Nadia (2.67 lakh) and Birbhum (2.02 lakh), they added.

Most of these districts, including Murshidabad and Malda, share a border with Bangladesh.

Kalimpong (6,790) and Jhargram (6,682) have the lowest number of such electors, officials said.

"Electors under adjudication have been included to ensure that no eligible person is excluded while verification of documents and claims continues," an official said.

Adjudication, to be done by judicial officers, would continue even after the publication of the final rolls, with supplementary lists issued as the exercise progresses, he said.

"Necessary corrections or deletions, if warranted, will be carried out after completion of due inquiry," he said.

The state's electoral rolls have shrunk by 8.30 per cent following the SIR exercise, from 7.66 crore to just over 7.04 crore. PTI SCH SOM