Isha Khan Choudhury, the Congress MP of Malda Dakshin Lok Sabha constituency, has written to Bengal chief electoral officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal, urging special consideration for the victims of river erosion and migrant workers of Malda during the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls.
In his letter to the CEO on November 8, the lone Congress MP from the state stated that lakhs of people in Malda were victims of severe river erosion since 1998, which forced them to relocate and, in many cases, lose vital identification documents to floods over the years.
Speaking about his letter to this correspondent, Khan Choudhury said: “The calamity took away their houses and compelled them to shift elsewhere. An entire panchayat, KB Jhowbona in Kaliachak-II block of the district, has completely vanished from the map due to erosion. Its residents were displaced to different areas, losing documents such as birth certificates and proof of residence."
He added that many displaced residents who resettled in Olitola, Jahirtola and other villages under the Bangitola panchayat could not enroll their names in the 2002 electoral roll due to lack of documents.
They are now anxious about being excluded from the voter list, the MP said.
“The EC must consider their situation as an exceptional case and ensure they are not deprived of their voting rights,” said Khan Choudhury, who also serves as the Malda district Congress president.
The MP further said that around 750 erosion victims from Bhutni and adjoining areas, now residing in Dharampur, found their names missing from the 2025 electoral roll, despite being listed in the 2002 records.
He has urged the EC to treat such cases with compassion and flexibility.
Khan Choudhury also drew attention to nearly five lakh migrant workers from Malda employed in other states, who might not be present when block-level officers reach their homes with the enumeration forms within the December 4 deadline.
“Cases of migrant workers must be handled sensitively to ensure they remain on the electoral rolls,” he said.
The MP's rivals came down on him.
Abdur Rahim Boxi, the Trinamool president of Malda, said: “The issues that the Congress MP is raising now, we had taken up even before the SIR began. We made it clear that not a single genuine voter should be removed. If such cases come to our notice, we will launch a massive protest.”
Ajay Ganguly, the BJP president of Malda south (organisational) district, dismissed Khan Choudhury’s letter.
“The Congress MP is making some noise to show that he is active. The BJP had already raised these issues and informed the EC. The SIR is being conducted properly under the EC's supervision. No genuine voter will be removed from the electoral roll. Only fake voters and infiltrators should be worried,” Ganguly said.