Over 46 lakh people have been struck off the electoral rolls in the seven districts with high Muslim concentration, accounting for over half of the 90 lakh voters declared ineligible across Bengal.
Apart from Malda, Murshidabad and North Dinajpur, there is a significant minority presence in Birbhum, Nadia, and North and South 24-Parganas.
While the seven districts account for 46,83,583 voters removed from the rolls, statistics shared by poll panel sources show that 17,10,764 of the 27,16,393 voters deleted following the adjudication of “logical discrepancies” are from here.
After the draft electoral rolls were published on February 28, one-third of the 60 lakh voters under adjudication had been from the Muslim-majority districts of Murshidabad and Malda. Malda had 8,28,080 voters under adjudication, while Murshidabad had 11,21,205.
Murshidabad had 57,64,085 registered voters before the SIR. Following adjudication, data on which were shared by poll panel sources on Monday night, 4,55,137 voters have been deleted in the district. In the first round of removal of absentee, shifted, dead and duplicate (ASDD) electors, 2,93,822 names in Murshidabad had not made the cut.
At the moment, Murshidabad has 50,07,996 voters.
In Malda, the total number of electors before the SIR process began was 31,99,531. After the adjudication process, this number has come down to 27,46,733. As many as 4,59,530 names were removed during the ASDD process and 2,39,375 were deleted during adjudication.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress had got 60 lakh votes more than the BJP in Bengal. In the 2024 general election, the gap between the two parties had narrowed to 42 lakh.
In 2021, Trinamool and the BJP had cumulatively won 69 seats where the victory margin was less than 10,000 votes. Of these, Trinamool had won 40 seats, while the BJP had bagged 29.
“In all those 40 seats won by Trinamool, between 10,000 and 35,000 voters have been deleted or removed following the SIR. About 75 per cent of these constituencies are minority-dominated,” said political scientist Biswanath Chakraborty.
In 2024, sub-10,000 victory margins had been recorded in 89 constituencies won by Trinamool and the BJP. Of these, Trinamool led the BJP in 51 seats, around 75 per cent of which were minority-dominated. Between 10,000 and 35,000 voters have been removed from those constituencies post-SIR.
“So, there will certainly be an impact on the electoral outcome if Trinamool’s narrative on the SIR does not sway voters, particularly Hindus,” Chakraborty said.
Trinamool and the Congress strongly criticised the Election Commission and the BJP, questioning how polls could be held without lakhs of legitimate voters.
“It was the target of the BJP and the Election Commission to delete the names of valid voters to benefit the BJP. The deletion of lakhs of legitimate voters is undemocratic. Our workers are standing beside them and helping them appeal to the tribunals,” said Apurba Sarkar, the Murshidabad Trinamool president.
Former state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury raised questions on chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s role.
“She had said that she would not enlist her name until all legitimate voters were included in the rolls. I demand that elections be held only after all legitimate voters are included in the electoral rolls,” he said.
The BJP denied any role in the deletions.
“It is completely a matter for the Supreme Court and the Election Commission of India. We have heard that the names of nearly 91 lakh people have been removed,” said Union minister of state and former state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar.
Asked whether these deletions would help the BJP in the elections, he said the important thing was that the SIR would be beneficial for the country.
“Whether it benefits the party is secondary. The most important thing is that it helps remove illegitimate voters,” Majumdar said.