EC Halts 'Unmapped' Voter Hearings in Bengal, Exempts Seniors Amid Criticism

• EC stops issuing notices for hearings to 'unmapped' voters in West Bengal during Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
• Voters aged 85+, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), and pregnant women are now exempt from appearing at hearing centers.
• The decision follows widespread criticism against the Election Commission regarding the ongoing electoral roll revision process.
• EC also bars Booth Level Agents 2 (BLA-2s) from hearing venues after an alleged disruption by TMC MLA Asit Majumder.
• Over 58 lakh names were deleted in the draft electoral roll published on December 16, with 92.40% retained; objections raised by government officers.

Why It Matters: EC revises electoral roll hearing rules in Bengal, exempting vulnerable groups and restricting BLA-2s.