Siliguri, 26th October: Former Siliguri Mayor and Trinamool Congress leader Gautam Deb has called on all opposition parties to unite to protect democracy and voting rights in view of the municipal elections in Siliguri.
Addressing a press conference, Deb raised concerns over several aspects of the electoral process, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the transparency of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and vote counting. He urged political parties to rise above ideological differences and unite to safeguard democratic rights.
Deb alleged that a large number of names had been removed from West Bengal’s electoral rolls during the SIR process. He also raised questions about the implementation of tribunal decisions and the procedures followed for revising voter lists.
Expressing concerns over EVM transparency, the former mayor referred to the alleged incident of EVMs being burnt in Kolkata and claims of a postal ballot box being broken open and excess votes being found in Siliguri. He claimed that written complaints had been submitted regarding these issues.
Deb said efforts would be made to ensure that voters could exercise their voting rights freely and without fear. He stressed the importance of protecting democratic rights and ensuring transparency in the electoral process.
