There has been an increase of about 32,000 new voters in West Burdwan district, in the final electoral list published by the Election Commission of India three months before the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. At a function held at the ADDA conference hall, the district electoral officer (DEO) and also the district magistrate and collector of West Burdwan district, S Ponnambalam handed over some voter cards to the new voters.

Talking to The Statesman, S Ponnambalam, DM of West Burdwan has informed that the total increase of new voters in the district is 31,891. “With these increases the total number of voters of West Burdwan district has now become 23,03,425 in the final voters list brought out by the election commission,” the district magistrate added. Two sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) of West Burdwan district along with two other EROs and nine BLOs have been felicitated for their outstanding work throughout the year in voter list revision work. Besides the icon of election of West Burdwan district, Kalpataru Guha has also been felicitated.

The district election department has also organised essay writing, drawing, debate, quiz and sloganeering competition to encourage and inform the new voters of the district. Additional district magistrate Siraj Daneswar, SDM of Asanso Sadar, Biswajeet Bhattachrya and other top officials were also present on the occasion. Meanwhile, the Purulia electoral office has also released the final voter list, according to which there has been an increase of 29,483 voters. Incidentally, the names of 31,069 ghost voters have been deleted from the final list. “The ghost voter list means death and voters, who have shifted to other areas,” explains Biswajit Majumdar, officer in-charge (OC) election of Purulia district.

The new age voters (18- 19 years) of Purulia district is 59,610. The total number of voters of Purulia district are 23,89,276. In Bankura district the total number of voters is 64,698. The total number of voters of Bankura district are 30,09,640. In the eleven Assembly segments of Birbhum district, the total number of voters increased to about 20,000. Bidhan Roy, district magistrate of Birbhum said that the total number of voters in the final voters list released by the Election Commission in Birbhum district is 29,08,484.