Voters sue EC for denial of franchise

The voters have also lodged complaints with the West Bengal Human Rights Commission.

Eleven holders of valid voter identity cards who couldn't exercise their franchise in the third phase of West Bengal's Assembly poll on April 27 have dragged the Election Commission to court.

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"Eleven people have moved court against the Election Commission in connection with deletion of names of genuine voters," Chief Electoral Officer Debashis Sen was quoted as saying in local newspapers.

The voters have also lodged complaints with the West Bengal Human Rights Commission.

Polling officials said at least 7,000 people with voter I-cards were turned away from booths in Kolkata, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas in the third round of the ongoing five-phase assembly polls because their names were missing from the rolls.

The chief electoral officer has admitted a lapse on the part of the poll panel.

"We were in the midst of a huge cleaning operation and some unintentional errors might have crept in for which we express our regret," Sen said.

The five-phase assembly polls in West Bengal end on May 8.