Political Controversy Erupts Over Voter List Allegations in West Bengal

Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, March 25, 2025, Kolkata: The political landscape of West Bengal is once again charged with controversy as allegations surface regarding voter list manipulation ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. Historically, the state's Muslim vote bank transitioned from the Congress to the CPM and later played a crucial role in the rise of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the 21st century. Since then, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has maintained a strong Muslim voter base. However, recent accusations have reignited tensions, with claims that the ruling party is allegedly manipulating voter rolls.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the primary opposition in the state, has accused the Trinamool Congress of illegally adding names of Bangladeshi and Rohingya Muslims to the voter list while allegedly removing Hindu voters. BJP leader Locket Chattopadhyay shared a directive from the Block Development Officer (BDO) of Krishnanagar-2 via social media, which has further fueled the controversy.

The directive reportedly states: "Since Mr. Abdur Rahman Sheikh was found through Docket No.1 on 21.2222, where he questioned the list of five voters in the respective areas or their physical presence in the area, the AERO mentioned in the connected list has been ordered to conduct an on-ground investigation of these four voters and submit a report verifying their general citizenship within seven days."

Reacting to this, Locket Chattopadhyay alleged that the TMC government is deliberately removing Hindu names from the voter list in West Bengal, particularly in border areas, while incorporating Bangladeshi and Rohingya voters. She pointed to an incident in the BJP stronghold of Nadia district, where, following a request from Abdur Rahman Sheikh, the BDO allegedly initiated the removal of five Hindu voters' names from the electoral rolls on the same day.

She further asserted that the BDO plays a crucial role in the preparation of the voter list and accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of orchestrating this move to consolidate her Muslim voter base. Chattopadhyay took to X (formerly Twitter), reiterating that the West Bengal government is deliberately excluding Hindu names from the voter rolls while including illegal voters in border regions. According to her, this is a systematic attempt to undermine the voting rights of Hindus in the state, allegedly under the direct influence of Banerjee.

The allegations have added a new dimension to the political discourse in the state, intensifying the already heated pre-election atmosphere. The TMC has yet to officially respond to these claims, but the controversy is expected to escalate as the election approaches.