KOLKATA: An Election Commission data revealed that nearly 91 lakh voters have been deleted from the electoral rolls in West Bengal after the Special Intensive Revision exercise, mainly targeting minority communities who have for long voted for Trinamool Congress.
The poll panel is yet to announce the finally altered voter base for the state after the roll revision process.
Initial figures published on February 28 showed that 63.66 lakh names, about 8.3% of the electorate, had been deleted since the revision began in November, bringing the voter base down from 7.66 crore to just over 7.04 crore. This total included more than 60.06 lakh voters marked as “under adjudication.”
Subsequent scrutiny by judicial officers led to the deletion of over 27.16 lakh of these disputed entries, while around 32.68 lakh were retained and added to the final rolls.
Overall, total deletions during the SIR process now stand at approximately 90.83 lakh.
The Election Commission said the revision was conducted in a “phased and transparent manner,” with district-wise data made public to ensure accountability.
Data for 59.84 lakh of the 60.06 lakh adjudication cases has been published, while the remaining 22,163 cases have been processed but are awaiting e-signatures. Officials noted that minor changes in figures may occur once procedural formalities are completed.
Significantly, 18 among the 20 ruling party MLAs are Muslims.
The worst affected district in the state is Murshidabad with more than 70 percent Muslim population. The ECI lists states 4,55,137 out of 1,101,145 adjudicated voters in the district with 22 assembly constituencies have been deleted after Monday’s list.
Earlier, on 28 February, names of 2,93,822 ASDD voters were removed from the electoral roll in the district. In all, names of 7,48,959 voters have been removed from the final electoral rolls in the district only.
In 2021 assembly polls, Trinamool Congress had won 20 seats while BJP had only two in Murshidabad.
North 24 Parganas, an important district along the Indo-Bangladesh border, has recorded highest number of 15,85,760 voters. including ASDD and adjudicated electors, across the state. The district has 33 assembly constituencies.
Malda, another Muslim-majority district, has recorded deletions of 4,59,530 voters including those 2,39,375 who were under adjudication category as per the ECI list.
In South 24 Parganas, ASDD and adjudicated 10, 91,098 voters have been removed from the electoral rolls. Trinamool Congress has considerable minority vote bank in the district with 32 assembly seats.
While addressing a campaign meeting in Nadia, Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that the Trinamool will fight for inclusion of the 27-lakh-plus voters whose names have been deleted from the electoral rolls after adjudication.
“I went to the Supreme Court. Now the list has come out and 32 lakh voters of the 60 lakh under adjudication have been included. The rest, we will try for their inclusion in the tribunals. Do not worry,” the ruling party supremo said at the Mashra Nabopally ground in Chakdaha in the district.
“I will have to see how many have been included and how many deleted. They have targeted Muslims, Matuas, Rajbongshis,” Mamata said.
The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain the Bengal government’s plea to direct the 19 appellate tribunals to pass interim orders allowing at least certain categories of excluded voters to vote, saying “we do not want to rush it”.
With the release of the final supplementary list, the electoral rolls for the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections have been frozen as per norms. Of the state’s 294 seats, 152 will go to polls on April 23, while the remaining 142 seats will vote on April 29. Rolls for the second phase will be frozen on April 9.
Election officials confirmed that no further additions to the voter list will be made at this stage. Any changes will depend on legal provisions or directions from competent authorities, including the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear the matter on April 13.
