Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) National Secretary Tayeedul Islam has raised serious concerns over the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls in West Bengal, alleging that the large-scale deletion of names signals a “systematic disenfranchisement” ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
According to the party, more than 6.61 lakh additional voters were removed from the rolls following recent hearings. Earlier, the draft list published on December 16, 2025 had excluded 58 lakh names under categories such as absent, shifted, deceased, or duplicate. After hearings concluded on February 14, 2026, the total number of deletions is claimed to have risen to nearly 65 lakh.
Islam said that the exercise, carried out in the name of routine revision of voter lists, appears to be an attempt to deprive lakhs of people—particularly Muslims, the poor, and other marginalized communities—of their constitutional rights. He further alleged that the move could be part of the electoral strategy of the Bharatiya Janata Party and has raised questions over the impartiality of the Election Commission of India.
The SDPI leader claimed that nearly five lakh voters were marked absent and deleted without adequate notice, while 1.63 lakh people were declared ineligible based on what he described as superficial verification. He alleged that factors such as migration, rural hardships, and documentation barriers were overlooked during the process.
He also stated that the impact of deletions was more pronounced in Muslim-majority districts such as North and South 24 Parganas, Murshidabad, and Malda, as well as parts of Kolkata. Minor spelling discrepancies, surname changes after marriage, and data inconsistencies were reportedly used to classify citizens as “not traceable” or “bogus,” he said, terming the development alarming.
SDPI has demanded an immediate halt to the revision process, temporary restoration of deleted voters, and a transparent re-verification under the supervision of all political parties. The party has also called for judicial intervention and broader democratic unity to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process.
