The Election Commission has rejected the West Bengal government’s proposal to include ration cards and Swasthya Sathi cards as valid documents in the upcoming revision of the voter list. The state government had written to the Chief Electoral Officer requesting that these two documents, along with Aadhaar, be recognised as proof of citizenship during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive set to begin after Durga Puja. However, the Commission has made it clear that no document beyond the 12 already listed, with Aadhaar being the most recent addition by Supreme Court order, will be accepted.
The state administration argued that the Swasthya Sathi card, a state government’s health insurance scheme, could be considered reliable since every detail of the cardholder is verified before issuance, and ration cards could also help identify citizens. But the Election Commission firmly dismissed the proposal, stating that uniform rules will apply across the country and only the 12 approved documents will be valid. Sources in the CEO’s office also emphasised that this is not a conflict between the state and the Commission but a matter of maintaining consistency nationwide.
The matter has sparked political controversy, with Union Minister and former BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar mocking the proposal as mamabarir abdar (a request from uncle’s house). He accused the state of protecting infiltrators, alleging that ration cards and Swasthya Sathi cards were being issued to them. “People do not get proper treatment with Swasthya Sathi cards and they cannot be proof of citizenship. This demand is baseless,” Majumdar said.
The Commission has meanwhile ordered that the 2025 voter list be matched with the 2002 voter list as part of the SIR exercise. Booth Level Officers have been instructed to carefully compare names from both lists, recording assembly constituencies, part numbers and serial numbers for each voter. If a voter’s name is absent but their parents’ names appear in the 2002 list, those details must also be noted. District officials have been told to monitor the process closely, with daily reports uploaded to the CEO portal starting September 12. The Senior Deputy Election Commissioner is expected to visit districts on September 18 and 19 to review progress, and a full review of the work will be held on September 20.
The Election Commission has also directed training for BLOs to ensure accuracy in the matching process. Additional Chief Electoral Officer Dibyendu Das, in a letter to district officers, stressed that the work must be carried out quickly and precisely.
Assembly elections are due in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry next year, and the Commission has asked all these states to complete preparations by September, with the SIR process likely to begin in October.
Also read: Suvendu Adhikari criticises Mamata, joins ex-servicemen’s dharna
Follow us
