Residents of Potagachhi in Hooghly’s Balagarh assembly constituency were thrown into panic after discovering that a large number of voters were missing from the Election Commission’s 2002 voter list, the document currently being used as the primary proof for the citizenship enumeration process.
Locals alleged that nearly 900 names were missing from a single booth in the village when checked against the 2002 list. Alerted to the situation, TMC MP Rachana Banerjee visited Potagachhi on Wednesday, spoke to anxious residents and assured them that they would not be left alone in the process.
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Second village reports similar issue
In another incident, residents of Korinya village under Bakulia Dhopapara Gram Panchayat reported that around 1,500 names were missing across two booths in the same 2002 list. Villagers had protested just days earlier, highlighting what they called a repeat of the same lapse now seen in Potagachhi.
Residents said that while their names are visible on the Election Commission website under the 2003 voter list, the Commission has declared only the 2002 list as the valid document for the new citizenship-linked enumeration. Those missing in the 2002 list must now file additional documents along with the enumeration form.
'We’ve lived here all our lives'
Residents insisted they have lived in the village for generations and possess all identification like voter cards, Aadhaar, ration cards and land documents. One elderly villager said,
“We were born here, we vote here, we pay land taxes every year. Suddenly we are told our names are not in the 2002 list. But the website shows our names in the 2003 list. Which one are we supposed to trust?”
Political reaction & administration’s response
Former TMC block president Shyamaprasad Ray Banerjee accused the BJP of “deliberate interference” and said the party would launch a larger protest if legitimate voters are excluded.
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District administration sources confirmed that similar complaints are emerging from other parts of the subdivision as well. Many residents have been crowding block offices and filing applications to clarify their status.
Officials have assured the public that anyone missing from the 2002 list can still fill the enumeration form. They will be called for a hearing, and their names will be added upon showing the required documents.
