SIR in West Bengal: The deleted, the doubtful, and the disenfranchised

Sanjay Mahato, a truck driver from Kolkata Port Assembly segment, has been deleted from the voter list during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. Mahato says he was away on business and did not fill out his form when it was distributed. The SIR is being conducted across 12 states and union territories in India, with West Bengal experiencing unusually high deletions. The Kolkata Port Assembly segment has witnessed a significant number of deletions, with the highest percentage occurring at polling booths associated with migrant workers. Political leaders from both sides have criticized the process, citing procedural problems and concerns about voter disenfranchisement. The ECI has issued notices to voters who were marked as "permanently shifted" or absent from their stated addresses, but some are concerned about the lack of clarity regarding the reasons for these deletions. The SIR is being conducted in a politically charged environment, with allegations of targeting specific communities and political maneuvering.