A fresh controversy has erupted in South Dinajpur district following the death of a 50-year-old woman whose family and the Trinamool Congress have alleged that panic over the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll triggered a heart attack that led to her death.
Jayanti Sarkar was a resident of Hasnagar in the Maligaon panchayat of Kushmandi block.
According to her family, she did not receive any enumeration form during the ongoing SIR process, which caused mental stress and anxiety, ultimately leading to
her death.
“Last Saturday, my wife died of a heart attack caused by extreme fear related to the SIR. She had not received the enumeration form,” said Jayanti’s husband, Natabar.
The family members claimed that there were major discrepancies between her 2002 voter identity card and documents prepared in 2025.
The 2025 document purportedly carried the photograph of an unknown woman from Birbhum district, instead of Jayanti’s. Besides, her husband’s name was mentioned as Nataru Sarkar in the older voter card, while it appeared as Natabar Sarkar in the new document.
She is survived by her husband, three sons and a daughter.
Following her death, Trinamool once again targeted the Election Commission, alleging that irregularities in the SIR process were creating fear among voters.
“Another life has been snatched away by a disgraceful, spineless Election Commission. In Kushmandi, Dakshin Dinajpur, housewife Jayanti Sarkar died of a heart attack induced by SIR-driven terror. This was the outcome of an Election Commission that has abandoned its constitutional duty to serve as the BJP’s obedient puppet.
Blatant errors in voter cards, denial of enumeration forms, and sheer administrative cruelty pushed an ordinary woman into panic so severe that it cost her life. Mr Vanish Kumar, the constitutional office does not grant moral immunity. This death stands as an indictment of your leadership. We will not stay silent as democracy is strangled. Bengal will resist,” the party wrote on X on Wednesday.
Sources in the administration, however, said that she had died because of her existing medical conditions.
“The deceased had a problem with her voter card with another female voter of South 24-Parganas. As the other woman filed the enumeration form, Jayanti Sarkar could not be provided with the same form. As the discrepancy came to light, discussions were made at the all-party meeting, and it was decided that her name would be enrolled afresh,” said a source.
Jayanti, sources said, had already submitted the form for her enrollment. “The local administration has been asked to get the documents ready with a detailed report. She, however, died because of chronic medical issues,” the source added.
Subhash Bhowal, the district Trinamool president, however, said: “We have all the necessary documents ready, which we will furnish to the authorities concerned to prove that she has died out of panic because of the SIR.”
Bapi Sarkar, a district general secretary of the BJP, dismissed the claims.
“Nowadays, whenever someone dies because of illness, it is being blamed on SIR panic. How long will this false narrative continue?” he said.