Kolkata: No one is predicting whether the second phase of polling in Bengal next Wednesday will beat Thursday's unprecedented turnout of 92.9% (revised on Friday). But everyone, including politicians and voters themselves, is sure of one thing: the second phase, too, is on course to see a heavy turnout of voters.
Fear of Deletion Drives Voters
The factor that may have driven up Thursday's polling — the fear of falling off the roll — may be at work again. The anecdotes — of desperation to be in the queue — are flowing in thick and fast. A cancer patient cancelled his doctor appointment to cast his vote. A domestic help in Mumbai spent Rs 8,000 on the dynamic train fare to come back to Bengal to vote. All these stories and their protagonists have one thing in common: the SIR fear factor.
"If we don't vote this time, we may not get another chance. I've skipped voting before, but not this time," said Rokida Bibi, 38, from Behrampore, who spent Rs 8,000 on a train ticket to return home.
Phase 2 Polling Details
On Wednesday, polling will be held in the remaining 142 seats across eight districts, out of Bengal's 294 assembly segments. These include North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Kolkata — regions that topped the list in the first round of deletions under the SIR of electoral roll, which targeted dead, absent and shifted voters. Collectively, the eight districts going to the polls in phase 2 — North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Kolkata North, Kolkata South, Howrah, Hooghly, Nadia and East Burdwan — account for 45.5 lakh deletions, or 50.1% of the total statewide reduction.
Deletions by District
North 24 Parganas leads with 10.1 lakh deletions, followed by South 24 Parganas (9.1 lakh) and the combined figure for North and South Kolkata (7 lakh). At the constituency level, Chowringhee recorded the highest deletions with 87,725 voters being struck off the roll, followed by Metiabruz (78,473), Kolkata Port (78,208), Jorasanko (77,993) and Ballygunge (71,855). Peripheral urban segments such as Sonarpur and Baruipur, under the Jadavpur LS seat, also reported significant deletions.
In Nadia, where the Matua community has a strong presence across Ranaghat, Krishnaganj and parts of Chakdaha, nearly 78% of those placed under adjudication were struck off — the highest rate in the state. North 24 Parganas, home to the largest concentration of Matuas, also saw substantial deletions.
Political Reactions
"I was pleasantly surprised by the turnout in the first phase. Given the scale of deletions in the remaining constituencies, I am certain the second phase will also see a record turnout," said Sashi Panja, state cabinet minister and Trinamool candidate from Shyampukur. Leader of the Opposition and BJP candidate from Bhowanipore, Suvendu Adhikari, said the surge reflected public sentiment against the ruling dispensation.
Voter Stories
Rishi Mukherjee, 41, a south Kolkata resident working with a multinational firm in Bengaluru, said being flagged during the revision process was unsettling. Mukherjee has booked tickets to return again on April 29 — this time to vote. Ashin Chakraborty, a researcher at Sabar Institute, said: "Seats such as Chowringhee, Jorasanko, Kolkata Port and Metiabruz have recorded some of the highest deletions in the state — significantly more than rural constituencies that voted in Phase 1."
