West Bengal Polls: Bangladesh Land Swap Citizens Granted Voting Rights

In a remarkable decision made on Thursday, the Lok Sabha passed a Bill to grant voting rights to people who became Indians following the exchange of enclaves between India and Bangladesh.

Although the Opposition questioned the delay on part of the government in bringing the measure, the decision is being applauded by the Bangladesh land swap citizens.  A majority of these enclaves are in West Bengal and with the passage of the Bill, there is going to be an upward revision in the electoral rolls of the poll-bound state. Moving the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016, for consideration and passage, Law Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda urged the members to pass the Bill without delay. The Bill was later passed unanimously by a voice vote. Mr Gowda urged the House to pass the Bill in the current session to enable the grant of voting rights to the people in these enclaves.

Various political parties expressed their support to the decision by the Parliament. Congress member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said it was imperative on the part of the government to ensure voting rights to the people, especially when the time was too short due to the impending elections. TMC member Kalyan Banerjee and Shiv Sena’s Anandrao Adsul too favored passing the legislation at the earliest

.

The term of the current 294-member West Bengal Assembly will come to an end on May 29. The upcoming elections acted as a catalyst as there was a sense of urgency for early passage of the Bill.