The Communist Party of India wrote a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner of India, Shri Gyanesh Kumar, raising concerns over the allegations of massive voter deletions and fraud in India's West Bengal Province.
CPI condemns alleged massive voter deletions in West Bengal
"The reported removal of nearly ninety lakh names from the rolls is not merely a matter of numbers but a reflection of widespread anguish, uncertainty and exclusion among ordinary citizens." said the letter. The letter further condemned the process for inverting the responsibility of the state to its citizens, forcing citizens to prove the legitimacy of their own votes. The letter noted with grave concern that those affected by the voter deletions were from the most vulnerable communities of West Bengal, stating that “Families are finding themselves partially erased from the rolls, elderly citizens are being asked to produce documents, and the poor and marginalized are pushed into processes they cannot reasonably navigate.” The letter further added that "Given the sheer scale and spread of these deletions, serious concerns arise in the public mind about the processes adopted and the institutional environment in which they have taken place”, especially in the midst of an electoral campaign, with polling scheduled for 23 to 29 April. The CPI registered a strong protest against the voter deletions, and reminded the state of its duty to uphold the right to vote.