West Bengal bypolls: TMC MP urges EC to ensure no eligible voter denied voting right
Trinamool Congress MP Samirul Islam has urged the Election Commission to resolve voter list deletions in West Bengal before upcoming bypolls. He argues that thousands of voters are at risk of being disenfranchised due to administrative delays.
Why it matters
The issue touches on the fundamental democratic right to vote and the administrative integrity of electoral rolls.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam on Monday (September 14, 2026) urged the Election Commission to expedite redressal of grievances of voters whose names were deleted during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, so that no eligible elector is denied the right to vote in the upcoming Assembly bypolls. Nearly 25 lakh appeals have been filed before SIR tribunals over deletion of names from the voter list.
In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Mr. Islam said thousands of voters in the bypoll-bound Rejinagar and Nandigram constituencies were awaiting decisions on their appeals. The byelection for the two seats will be held on October 6, with counting scheduled for October 9.
Mr. Islam urged the EC, the Chief Electoral Officer and Electoral Registration Officers to immediately address the grievances of voters whose names were deleted during the SIR exercise.
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