Disproportionate Voter Deletions in Nandigram Raise Concerns Ahead of Elections

Recent findings reveal that a disproportionate number of Muslim voters in Nandigram, West Bengal, have been deleted from electoral rolls, raising serious concerns ahead of the upcoming elections. An analysis by the Sabar Institute indicates that Muslims, who make up only 25% of the population, accounted for 95.5% of deletions in the latest electoral lists. This situation has prompted allegations from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who claims that minority communities are being targeted. With the elections approaching, the implications of these deletions could significantly impact voter representation in the region.

By Narendra Chaudhary Apr 7, 2026, 15:17 IST

Significant Voter Deletions in Nandigram

In Nandigram, a region in West Bengal, Muslims constitute only 25% of the population, yet they represented a staggering 95.5% of the deletions in seven supplementary electoral lists released by the Election Commission. This analysis was conducted by a research organization based in Kolkata.

The Sabar Institute disclosed these findings on Sunday, having examined data from supplementary lists numbered 1, 2, 3, 4a, 7, 8, and 9.

Nandigram, located in East Midnapore district, is currently represented by Suvendu Adhikari of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Assembly. He is also a candidate for the upcoming elections, with voting scheduled for April 23.

The Election Commission first published the revised voter roll list on March 23, and since then, ten lists have been released, detailing deletions and approvals.

According to the Sabar Institute's social media updates, the percentage of Muslim voters deleted from the rolls in Nandigram varied between 60.9% and 98.7% across the seven supplementary lists. Notably, list 4a was an exception, where all deletions were non-Muslim women.

In the draft voter list released in December, the deletion rate among Muslim voters was significantly lower.

Statewide, nearly 58 lakh voters were removed from the rolls due to being marked as deceased, duplicates, relocated, or absent. In Nandigram, 10,604 voters were deleted, with 7,077 (66.7%) being non-Muslims and 3,527 (33.3%) Muslims.

As reported by a local media outlet, approximately 91 lakh voters have been removed from West Bengal's electoral lists following the revision process.

This deletion accounts for about 11.9% of the state's electorate, which was previously recorded at 7.6 crore before the revision began.

The revision process concluded after judicial officers reviewed around 60 lakh claims and objections. Voters who were removed during this process have the option to appeal at 19 designated tribunals.

However, as of Monday, the voter rolls for constituencies participating in the April 23 elections are now locked, as per election regulations that freeze rolls after the nomination deadline.

The second phase of the Assembly elections is set for April 29, with vote counting scheduled for May 4.

Voter Adjudication in Other Constituencies

Case of two other seats

Analysis from two additional Assembly constituencies, Bhabanipur and Ballygunge, indicates that the percentage of voters undergoing adjudication was notably higher among Muslims compared to non-Muslims, as reported by a fact-checking website.

In Bhabanipur, where Trinamool Congress leader and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting against Adhikari, 51.8% of Muslim voters were subjected to adjudication, despite their population share being only 21.9% in that constituency.

Ballygunge, which has a Muslim voter population of 54.3%, saw 76.1% of these voters put under adjudication.

The fact-checking organization utilized full names to analyze the religious identities of the voters.

According to the chief electoral officer’s office, details of 59.8 lakh adjudicated cases have been finalized and signed off by judicial officers, with over 27 lakh voters deemed “excludable” and subsequently removed from the lists.

District-wise, the highest number of deletions occurred in the Muslim-majority district of Murshidabad, where 4.5 lakh names were removed, followed by North 24 Parganas with 3.2 lakh and Malda with 2.3 lakh deletions.

Allegations of Targeting Minority Voters

Voters from minority communities targeted, alleges CM

On Tuesday, Chief Minister Banerjee accused the authorities of systematically removing voters from minority communities during the revision process. She claimed that specific groups, including the Matuas, Rajbanshis, and other minorities, were being targeted.

The Matuas are a Hindu Namasudra community with origins in Bangladesh, while the Rajbangshis are an ethnic Scheduled Caste group historically residing in northern Bengal.

During a rally in Chakdaha, Nadia district, Banerjee expressed her commitment to support those whose names have been excluded from the electoral rolls.