Kolkata, Dec 17 (IANS) West Bengal Governor C.V. Anand Bose on Wednesday said that the Special Intensive Review (SIR) process is driving out the Bangladeshi infiltrations since it started in the state.
In an interview with IANS, he said that the SIR process will bring out a change in the Assembly elections and "cleanse" the system as the state is witnessing an outflow of illegal immigrants.
"Infiltration is a reality which came to the fore when the SIR process started. There is also an outflow of illegal migrants from Bengal through the border to Bangladesh. This is a situation, a phenomenon that has been studied in depth to a very large extent. As far as it affects the elections, the SIR process will certainly bring about a change. It will cleanse the system to a great extent," Bose told IANS.
When asked about the Centre's assertion that the SIR will help identify and drive out the Bangladeshi infiltrators and the effect of illegal immigrants on the elections, the Governor said that the problem will decrease, though not be "completely eliminated".
"After the SIR, I believe the chances have decreased (of Bangladeshi infiltrators affecting the elections). I'm not saying they are completely eliminated, but they have certainly lessened," he said.
The Bengal SIR exercise commenced on December 4 and wrapped up on December 11, experiencing a notable departure of illegal Bangladeshis and demonstrations from booth-level officers (BLOs) due to stringent deadlines and work pressure.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has released the draft electoral rolls for the upcoming elections in West Bengal, following the controversial SIR process, resulting in the identification of over 58 lakh voter names slated for removal.
The issuance of the draft voter list signifies the end of the enumeration stage and the beginning of a more challenging process involving claims, objections, and hearings.
The second phase of the three-part SIR exercise will persist until February 2026. The final voters' list is set to be published on February 14, 2026, in anticipation of the Bengal Assembly elections.
As per the data provided by the ECI, a total of 58,20,898 voter names have been flagged for deletion, which encompasses approximately 24,16,852 electors deemed deceased, 19,88,076 voters who have either moved permanently or migrated, 12,20,038 voters categorised as missing, and 1,38,328 names identified as duplicates, false, or bogus entries. In addition, another 57,604 names have been recommended for removal due to "other reasons".
--IANS
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