Murshidabad: Over Seven Lakh Voters Deleted in SIR Process, Raising Concerns Ahead of Polls

Chiranjit Tudu, a poor landless tribal youth from the Nabagram Assembly constituency, is among those excluded. A migrant mason by profession, he was in Kerala during the SIR process, which appears to have led to his name being deleted. Along with him, 30 other migrant tribal workers have also been removed from the voter list. Ironically, his mother Bharati Tudu and his wife continue to remain registered voters.

Vaijayanti Das, a middle aged domestic worker from Kedar Mahato Road in Khagra, Berhampore, faces a similar situation. While her husband and children are listed as voters, her name has been deleted without any clear explanation. She says she was never informed about the reason behind the removal.

The issue has also affected those directly involved in the electoral process. Abul Kalam Azad, a Booth Level Officer from the 184 polling station and a primary school teacher at Debkundu, has discovered that his own name is missing from the list. Despite supervising the SIR process and possessing all valid documents, he is no longer eligible to vote.

Elderly voters have not been spared either. Nayra Bewa, an 82 year old widow who has voted in every election, found her name missing this time. Similarly, 82 year old Syed Reja Ali Mirza, known as Chote Nawab and a 15th generation descendant of the Murshidabad Nawab family, has been excluded along with 286 others. A former state government employee, his son Syed Fahim Ali Mirza is a Trinamool Congress councillor in Murshidabad municipality. Many of them have questioned whether they are being treated as intruders despite submitting all required documents to the SIR tribunal.

These cases are only a fraction of a much larger issue. Across West Bengal, a total of 90 lakh 83 thousand 385 voters have reportedly been removed from the rolls. In Murshidabad district alone, 7 lakh 37 thousand 872 voters have been deleted, a significant number of them belonging to minority communities.

Political analyst Professor Bishwanath Chakravorty pointed out that large scale deletions have taken place across several constituencies, including Samsergunj, Farakka, Lalgola, Bhagwangola and Nowda. He warned that such a massive reduction in voter numbers could significantly alter the electoral prospects of political parties in the region.

Some candidates have managed to restore their names through the SIR tribunal at the last moment, including Trinamool Congress leaders Zakir Hossain from Jangipur and Bayron Biswas from Sagardighi, as well as Congress candidate Mohatab Sheikh from Farakka. However, with the first phase of polling for 154 Assembly seats scheduled on April 23, many affected voters are unlikely to regain their voting rights in time.

Political reactions have been sharp. Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged that demographic changes in West Bengal were driven by intruders and said such a situation would not be tolerated. At the same time, some local BJP leaders have reportedly acknowledged that the deletions have impacted not only Muslims but also sections of economically weaker Hindu communities.

Congress leader and Berhampore candidate Adhir Chowdhury blamed the Election Commission, the state government and the BJP, alleging a nexus behind the large scale deletions. He accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of failing to cooperate with the Election Commission and described the ongoing political responses as mere drama.

Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee appealed to affected voters to have faith, promising that their names would be reinstated after the party returns to power. He also said that efforts are being made through legal channels and that tribunal decisions may bring relief to many.

Despite these assurances, affected individuals such as Chiranjit Tudu, Vaijayanti Das, Abul Kalam Azad and Syed Reja Ali Mirza remain uncertain about their participation in this election.

Rahima Bibi from Maheshpur village in Beldanga Assembly voiced the anguish felt by many when she questioned the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, asking why some people are forced to cry on polling day while others are able to vote freely, calling it a mockery of democracy.