[Marxistindia] Left parties memorandum to EC

[news from the cpi(m)]

August 27, 2010

 

Press Release

 

A delegation of Left parties MPs met the Chief Election Commissioner and submitted the following memorandum today.  The delegation consisted of  Sitaram Yechury (leader, CPI(M) in Rajya Sabha), Basudev Acharia (leader, CPI(M), Lok Sabha), Nilotpal Basu (Member, Central Secretariat, CPI(M)),   Prabodh Panda (Communist Party of India), Narahari Mahato (All India Forward Bloc) and Prasanta Majumdar (Revolutionary Socialist Party).  

 

 

(Hari Singh Kang)

For CPI(M) Central Committee office







Dear Sir, 

 

We are constrained to bring to your notice  on behalf of the four Left parties - CPI(M), CPI, AIFB and RSP - the very disturbing attempts in West Bengal in the run-up to the process of Summary  Revision of Electoral Rolls (SRER). While forwarding the memorandum addressed to you on behalf of the Left Front Committee, West Bengal, we would like to draw your focused attention on specific facts  which will  bring out the  humongous magnitude of these  attempts  which  unless defeated will lead to  large-scale falsification of the electoral rolls  and distort the ensuing Assembly elections as a  whole.  

 

In this context, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that we had already  met you on August 3, 2010 to initially acquaint you with the problem.  Certain major facts have now come to our notice which  further  reinforces our apprehension.  

 

The total number of Form-6 applications for addition of new names to be included in the draft electoral rolls as part of the SRER is given to be 56,19,057 (Annexure - I).  The districtwise break-up of the total number of Form-6 applications shows the unusually inflated total number  of applications.  This  is available in Annexure - II for your ready reference and perusal.  

 

That the number of Form-6 application is unusually high can be made out from Annexure-III.  The following table will give a complete picture.

 

 

      Summary of last three revisions
     2006
     2007
     2008
     2009
     
      a) No of electors in Draft Rolls
     4,80,95,009
     4,78,39,290
     5,04,11,682
     5,16,12,655
     
      b) Total Additions
     25,80,001
     20,75,343
     14,00,601
     13,81,575
     
      c) Total Deletions
     28,35,726
     11,98,568
     2,00,719
     6,31,555
     
      d) Net Addition
     -2,55,725
     8,76,775
     11,99,882
     7,50,020
     
      e) Percentage of Net Addition
     -0.5
     1.83
     2.38
     1.45
     

 

Roughly 56 lakh proposed additions  over the total number of electors  amounting to 5,24,21,616 works out to a more than 10 per cent increase.  Given the fact that the net addition in the preceding four years - 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 - are -0.5 per cent, 1.83 per cent, 2.38 per cent and 1.45 per cent respectively,  clearly show abnormality of an unusual magnitude.  

 

Together with this,  the Left Front memorandum will show that there are gross attempts to bypass the well-established  ECI stipulations  for additions of names.  The submission of affidavits, patently false methods of certification like school certificates, birth certificates from health centres etc instead of standard procedures  indicate an organized effort to falsify the  rolls.  To be fair, we must also bring out that  the Chief Electoral Officer has given a firm commitment in an all-party meeting  on August 5, 2010 - "submission of bulk applications as well as affidavits and other documents inconsistent with the norms and  rules of the Election Commission shall not be accepted or rejected if received anywhere, prior to enquiry."

 

We have been given to understand that  the commitment so given is not being  strictly implemented.  There have been  instances of  questionable role of  certain observers  to  bring pressure  on the block level  election officials  to  turn a blind eye  to these  obnoxious attempts and legitimize  the  applications  without  due  consideration  as per the  directions of the  Election Commission.  

 

The magnitude of the problem and the attempted deceit like filing of affidavits  which is born - not  out of ignorance - but to sidestep the due and impeccable procedures cannot be  defeated without your  urgent intervention.  

 

We, therefore, forward the Left Front memorandum and the voluminous Annexures to substantiate the  contentions  contained therein.  

 

We sincerely expect that with the active intervention of the EC, the sanctity and the integrity of the election process in West Bengal will be safeguarded and this will add up to the otherwise fine record  of  your achievements of the past.  

 

With regards,

 

Yours sincerely

 

  Sd/-



(Sitaram Yechury)                                              (Basudev Acharia)

Leader, CPI(M), Rajya Sabha                       Leader, CPI(M), Lok Sabha

 

 

 

(Nilotpal Basu)                                                    (Prabodh Panda)

Member, Central Secretariat, CPI(M)            MP, Communist Party of India

 

 

 

(Narahari Mahato)                                              (Prasanta Majumdar)

MP, All India Forward Bloc                      MP, Revolutionary Socialist Party