Protests Intensify Over Voter List Deletions in Bengal; BGPM, TMC and BJP Leaders React

KalimNews, March 5, 2026, Kalimpong:  Political tensions continue to escalate in West Bengal after the publication of the final electoral roll following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The deletion of 63.66 lakh voters from the list has triggered widespread protests and strong reactions from political leaders and regional parties, especially in the hill regions.

Anit Thapa, President of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), warned that the party would launch a large-scale protest against the voter list revision.

He said:  "We will protest on a large scale. The President of India is coming to Darjeeling tomorrow. We will welcome her, but after she leaves we will begin our protest. This is a matter more serious than an election.

The Members of Parliament were elected by the votes of those who have now been deleted or placed under adjudication. If they are considered duplicates, then the MPs elected by their votes are also duplicates."

Thapa made the remarks after meeting party workers from the Rangbul–Dhotaria–Rimbick constituency area.

Raising concerns about the implications for the Gorkha community, he further said:  "It is fine if the BJP did not grant Gorkhaland. It is fine if they did not grant Scheduled Tribe status. But now, in the name of SIR, they are trying to erase our community. They are trying to turn the Gorkhas into refugees. If our citizenship itself is taken away, then what is the meaning of Gorkhaland?"

According to BGPM leaders, around 50,000 Gorkhas have either had their names deleted from the voter list or have been placed under adjudication.

Reports state that the number of deleted voters is 28,107 in Darjeeling Assembly constituency, 19,819 in Kurseong A.C. and 18,901 in Kalimpong A.C.. According to election authorities, most removed names fall under categories such as Dead voters, Shifted to another constituency, Duplicate entries, Untraceable or missing during verification. These categories are collectively known as ASDD (Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate).

The number of voters “under adjudication” in the hill Assembly constituencies after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls (2026) in Darjeeling A.C. 24,658, in Kurseong A.C. is 14,534 and Kalimpong A.C. is 6,625. The party also alleged that officials brought from various BJP-ruled states as micro observers during the electoral revision process were responsible for the deletion of many names.

Responding to the allegations, Raju Bista, Member of Parliament from Darjeeling, said that the deletion of names occurred because the district administration did not carry out the work properly.

He stated: "Names were deleted in the SIR because the Darjeeling District Magistrate and his staff did not perform their duties properly. Within the next 15 days, everyone's name will be restored to the voter list. If even a single person's name is not included, I will quit politics."

Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal and leader of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), has announced a sit-in protest (dharna) against the voter list deletions.

The protest will begin on March 6 at Metro Channel, Esplanade in the heart of Kolkata.

The programme was announced by Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s national general secretary and Member of Parliament from Diamond Harbour, during a press conference at Trinamool Congress Bhaban.

He said: “Mamata Banerjee has decided to organize a sit-in demonstration programme at Metro Channel on March 6. She may also announce programmes for the coming days on the same day.”

Abhishek Banerjee also alleged that many legitimate voters had been removed from the list.

“Names of a huge number of legal voters have been removed from the list released illegally by the Commission, and this exercise is hostile to the democratic fabric of the country.”

TMC leaders have accused the national poll body of administrative negligence and politically motivated decisions that deprived many citizens of their voting rights.

On February 28, the Election Commission of India published the final electoral roll after completing the SIR exercise.

Key details include:

• 63.66 lakh voters deleted from the rolls.

• Over 58 lakh voters categorized as absent, shifted, dead and duplicate (ASDD) during the first phase.

• About five lakh more voters removed after the completion of SIR hearings.

In addition to the deletions, over 60 lakh electors have been marked “under adjudication” under the categories of logical discrepancies and unmapped voters. These cases are currently awaiting review by judicial officers.

Following intervention by the Supreme Court of India, judicial officers were tasked with deciding whether these voters would retain their voting rights.

Among those listed under adjudication are Nandini Chakraborty, the Chief Secretary of West Bengal, minister Tajmul Hossain, and TMC MLA Rafiqur Rahaman.

The electoral roll revision has also significantly affected Bhowanipore, the Assembly constituency represented by Mamata Banerjee.

According to the final list:

• 47,111 voters were deleted as dead, permanently shifted, absent or bogus.

• 14,154 voters were marked “under adjudication” and are awaiting judicial clearance.

Across West Bengal, the final list recorded more than 1.82 lakh new voters. However, 99 of the 294 Assembly constituencies did not register any new voters.

With the West Bengal Assembly elections approaching, the controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls has become one of the most contentious political issues in the state, with parties intensifying protests and counter-allegations.