Fresh data released by the Election Commission has revealed that Muslim-dominated constituencies in Murshidabad recorded the highest number of voter deletions after post-adjudication of electoral rolls, sparking political debate ahead of the state elections.
Among the worst-hit were Shamsherganj and Lalgola constituencies. In Shamsherganj, 74,775 names were deleted out of 1,08,400 under scrutiny, while in Lalgola, 55,420 voters were removed from a list of 99,082.
These figures form part of a larger exercise in which around 27 lakh names were struck off electoral rolls across West Bengal. The state’s total voter count now stands at approximately 6.7 crore.
Significant Deletions Across Several Districts
Apart from Murshidabad, large-scale deletions were also reported in districts like Malda, North Dinajpur, South 24 Parganas and Birbhum.
Matua-dominated areas in North 24 Parganas and Nadia also witnessed notable voter removals.
In Malda’s Mothabari, over 37,000 names were deleted out of 79,683 under adjudication. The issue triggered protests earlier this month, with clashes reported between locals and security forces.
Electoral Rolls Frozen Ahead of Polls
The Election Commission has now frozen voter lists for the upcoming elections. Rolls for 142 constituencies voting in the second phase on April 29 were sealed on Thursday, while those for the first phase (152 seats) had already been finalised on April 6.
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com. Read the full story here.