Bhabanipur Records Nearly Four Times More Voter Deletions Compared to Nandigram, Says Election Commission Data

According to the Election Commission, Bhabanipur has experienced nearly four times the voter deletions compared to Nandigram. The data highlights significant electoral shifts in West Bengal as the state prepares for upcoming elections.

In West Bengal, the Bhabanipur constituency, represented by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has seen a significant number of voter deletions. According to the Election Commission's data, nearly four times more voters were removed here compared to Nandigram, where Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari holds sway. This information was released following the conclusion of the Special Intensive Revision process.

The data highlights that Bhabanipur recorded 44,787 deletions from its voter list of 2,06,295 as of January 2025. In contrast, Nandigram saw 10,599 names removed from a total of 2,78,212 voters. The deletions were categorised under standard reasons like deaths, relocations, untraceable addresses, and duplicate entries. Officials confirmed that uniform criteria were applied across the state.

Voter Deletions in Key Constituencies

Despite the focus on Bhabanipur, it wasn't the constituency with the most deletions. Chowringhee in north Kolkata topped the list with 74,553 deletions. This area is represented by TMC MLA Nayana Bandyopadhyay, who won her seat by over 44,000 votes in 2021. Kolkata Port followed with 63,730 deletions under senior minister Firhad Hakim's representation.

In Tollygunge, held by Minister Aroop Biswas, 35,309 names were removed. Biswas retained his seat in 2021 with a margin of about 50,000 votes. Among BJP-held constituencies, Asansol South saw 39,202 deletions under Agnimitra Paul. Paul had narrowly won her seat by around 4,000 votes in the last election.

District-Level Deletion Trends

At the district level, South 24 Parganas reported the highest number of deletions at 8,16,047. This district is a stronghold for TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. In contrast, Kotulpur in Bankura had the fewest deletions with just 5,678 names removed. Overall, more than 58 lakh names have been deleted in this phase.

The Election Commission plans to release draft electoral rolls soon. Reacting to these figures, TMC spokesperson Krishanu Mitra stated that the party will closely examine the data. "If dead voters or shifted voters have been omitted, then we have no problem," he said. "But if any genuine voter is deleted, we will reply against this sinister motive democratically."

Political Implications and Reactions

Suvendu Adhikari's victory over Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram during the 2021 Assembly election adds political weight to these deletion figures. Banerjee later returned to the Assembly through a Bhabanipur bypoll win with a margin of 58,832 votes. BJP chief whip Shankar Ghosh commented on the deletions: "This proves the amount of fake voters that has been the real strength of TMC in West Bengal."

A senior official from the CEO's office noted that over 56.37 lakh voters statewide have been marked uncollectible during verification efforts. These include deceased voters (23.98 lakh), untraceable voters (10.95 lakh), shifted voters (19.65 lakh), duplicate entries (1.32 lakh), and others (47,832). More than 7.66 crore enumeration forms were distributed across West Bengal.

As West Bengal approaches its next Assembly elections in 2026, these deletion patterns are expected to spark intense debate between TMC and BJP. The focus will likely intensify once draft rolls are published next week.

With inputs from PTI