New Delhi / Siliguri – In a significant development for electoral inclusion in West Bengal, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has approved the use of employment records from tea gardens and cinchona plantations as valid documents for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 2026.
The approval comes via an official letter dated January 11, 2026, addressed to the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal. Signed by Under Secretary Shakti Sharma, the letter states that the Commission has “no objection” to the state election authority’s proposal to accept these records in the districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, North Dinajpur, and South Dinajpur.
Darjeeling MP and BJP National Spokesperson Raju Bista shared the letter on X (formerly Twitter), describing it as a major step towards empowering marginalized communities. In his post, Bista revealed that he had personally written to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in October 2025 and followed up with West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer in November, highlighting the historical lack of official documentation among tea garden workers, tea tribes, and forest-dwelling populations.
“Most workers in tea and cinchona gardens possessed no official documents other than their employment records,” Bista noted, adding that the absence of land rights and limited implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, in the state had further excluded generations from electoral rolls.
He expressed gratitude to the ECI and state election officials, stating that the decision would benefit thousands of citizens long denied voting rights due to documentation barriers. Bista also thanked Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari for supporting the demand.
The move follows recent appeals by BJP leaders, including Adhikari, who had urged the ECI to recognize these plantation records as proof of identity and residence amid concerns over voter exclusion during the SIR process.
Tea garden workers, predominantly from Adivasi and Gorkha communities, form a crucial vote bank in North Bengal and have historically faced challenges in proving residency for voter enrollment. The approval is expected to facilitate greater participation in the upcoming 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
As the SIR progresses, this decision could set a precedent for addressing documentation gaps in similar marginalized sectors across India. No immediate reactions from the Trinamool Congress or state government were available at the time of reporting.
