No hurdle in carrying out SIR in Bengal, states constitutionally bound to support it: CEC Gyanesh

The Election Commission on Monday asserted there will be no hurdles in the implementation of special intensive revision of the voters’ list in West Bengal as states are constitutionally obliged to provide the poll authority with personnel to carry out the electoral roll clean-up exercise.

The remarks by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar came as the poll panel announced conducting P-2 of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 12 states and Union Territories between November and February.

The 12 states and Union Territories are: the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Responding to a question on the possibility of “bloodbath” in West Bengal if the SIR exercise is held there, Kumar said, “There is no hurdle.”

“The EC is doing its duty and state governments are constitutionally-bound to discharge their duties...all constitutional bodies carry out their responsibility as enshrined in the constitution,” Kumar said, citing the EC’s powers under Article 324 of the Constitution.

“Maintaining law and order is a state’s constitutional responsibility... states are also bound to provide necessary personnel to EC for preparing electoral rolls and conduct of polls,” he added.

Responding to another question on the demands of postponing SIR in Kerala due to the proposed local body elections, the CEC said no notification for holding local body polls has been issued so far, and that is why the Election Commission is going ahead with holding SIR in the southern state.

Assembly elections in West Bengal and Kerala are due next year, along with Assam, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu.