Bagdogra, 17th December: A 58-year-old woman in Bagdogra was shocked to find her name listed as dead in the draft voter roll, despite being alive, causing panic in her family and local community.
The woman, Shibani Pal, a resident of Vivekananda Pally in Bagdogra, regularly votes at Gandhi Smriti Primary School. The draft voter roll published on Tuesday mistakenly showed her as deceased, raising concerns and confusion, even after she submitted the SIR form to the Booth Level Officer (BLO).
The BLO stated that her name was not sent as deceased in the records and the reason for the error is unclear. The matter has been reported to higher authorities for resolution.
Meanwhile, the Pradhan of Upper Bagdogra Gram Panchayat said that a living voter’s name cannot be removed. Although the BLO’s list did not mark her as deceased, she appeared as dead in the voter roll. The family expressed fears of a conspiracy involving central authorities and the Election Commission under the SIR records.