Massive Electoral Roll Purge in North 24 Parganas Ignites Political and Social Tensions
A comprehensive purge of the electoral roll under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has triggered significant political and social fault lines in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. Since the first draft was published in December, over 12.3 lakh names have been struck off across three phases, marking the highest number of deletions in the state so far.
Matua-Dominated Bongaon Subdivision Bears the Brunt
The impact has been most severe in the Matua-dominated Bongaon subdivision, where four Assembly segments—Bagdah, Gaighata, Bongaon North, and Bongaon South—account for a substantial portion of the deletions. Notably, three of these seats are currently held by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the party led in all four during the last Lok Sabha elections.
Data released by the Election Commission on Tuesday reveals that out of 5,91,252 voters placed "under adjudication" in the district, 3,25,666 were declared ineligible. Sources estimate that over 36,000 of those removed belong to the Matua community, which is concentrated in these four constituencies.
Constituency-Wise Breakdown of Voter Deletions
Gaighata is the worst-hit constituency, with 16,222 voters deleted out of 22,278 flagged for scrutiny. In Bagdah, 5,890 exclusions occurred from 13,459 such cases, bringing total deletions in the constituency to 15,303 from an electorate of 2,63,142. Bongaon North saw 7,926 names removed, while Bongaon South recorded 6,902 deletions. Additionally, Swarupnagar and Gaighata witnessed 2,924 and 6,770 deletions, respectively.
Voices from the Affected Matua Community
Sukhomoy Haldar from Gaighata alleged targeted exclusion, stating, "We were promised citizenship, but it never happened. Now we are left helpless." In Joygachhi Mathpara, veteran Matua leader Suresh Chandra Baidya Sarkar expressed uncertainty about his future after his name was deleted decades after migrating from Barishal. Ramesh Gayen from Bagdah, who applied for citizenship months ago, said delays cost him his vote.
Intensifying Political Blame Game
The political blame game has escalated sharply. Trinamool Congress MLA Madhuparna Thakur termed the situation "unfortunate" and held the BJP accountable for "unfulfilled citizenship promises." In response, BJP's Bongaon organisational district president Bikash Ghosh urged affected voters to approach tribunals, citing Supreme Court provisions for redressal.
Ripple Effects Extend to Urban Areas
The purge's effects are not limited to rural regions. Urban pockets have also been significantly impacted. Bidhannagar recorded over 54,000 deletions, while Rajarhat-New Town and Rajarhat-Gopalpur saw over 35,000 and 47,000 deletions, respectively, highlighting the widespread nature of this electoral roll revision.
