Bengal SIR: 95% of deleted voters in Nandigram are Muslims, shows study
Although Muslims make up only 25% of the population of West Bengal’s Nandigram, they accounted for 95.5% of the deletions in seven supplementary lists released by the Election Commission as part of the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in the state, according to an analysis done by a Kolkata-based research organisation.The findings were released by the Sabar Institute on Sunday after it analysed voter roll data from supplementary lists 1, 2, 3, 4a, 7, 8 and 9.
Nandigram, part of the East Midnapore district, is represented by the Bharatiya Janata Party leader Suvendu Adhikari in the Assembly. He is contesting from the seat in the upcoming elections as well. The constituency will go to polls in the first phase on April 23.
The Election Commission published the first post-voter roll revision list on March 23. Ten such lists have been published since then till Sunday, identifying those who were deleted or approved.
According to data published by the Sabar Institute on social media, the share of Muslims deleted from the electoral rolls in Nandigram ranged from 60.9% to 98.7% in seven of the supplementary lists. The only exception was list 4a, where 100% of those deleted were non-Muslim women.
In the draft voter list of the state published in December, the proportion of deletions among Muslim voters was not as high.
Nearly 58 lakh voters were deleted after being marked as dead, duplicate, shifted or absent across the state. Out of these, a total of 10,604 voters were in Nandigram, of whom 7,077, or 66.7%, were non-Muslims and 3,527, or 33.3% were Muslims.
Citing data from the Election Commission, The Statesman reported on Tuesday that nearly 91 lakh voters have been removed from West Bengal’s voter lists after the revision of electoral rolls.
The deletions represent nearly 11.9% of the state’s electorate of 7.6 crore that existed before the voter roll revision process began.
The exercise concluded after judicial officers adjudicated about 60 lakh claims and objections. Voters who were removed during the adjudication process can appeal in 19 tribunals set up for the purpose.
However, as Monday was the last day for filing nominations for the first phase of Assembly elections, the voter rolls of constituencies going to polls on April 23 are locked. According to election rules, electoral rolls are frozen after the nomination deadline.
The second phase of the Assembly polls will be held on April 29. The votes will be counted on May 4.
Case of two other seats
In two other Assembly constituencies as well – Bhabanipur and Ballygunge – the share of voters put under adjudication was higher among Muslims as compared to non-Muslims, showed analysis published by AltNews on Friday.
In Bhabanipur, where Trinamool Congress president and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will contest against Adhikari, 51.8% Muslim voters were put under adjudication after the special intensive revision of electoral rolls. The share of their population is only 21.9% in the seat.
Ballygunge has 54.3% Muslim voters. A total of 76.1% of them were put under adjudication, according to AltNews.
The fact-checking website stated that it analysed the religious identity of the voters using their full name.
Details of 59.8 lakh cases under adjudication have been finalised and signed by judicial officers, The Statesman quoted the chief electoral officer’s office as saying.
Among them, more than 27 lakh voters were found “excludable” and have been removed from the voter lists.
District-wise, the highest number of deletions during the adjudications phase had taken place in Muslim-dominated Murshidabad, with 4.5 lakh names having been struck off the list. It is followed by North 24 Parganas with 3.2 lakh names removed and Malda with 2.3 lakh.
Voters from minority communities targeted, alleges CM
On Tuesday, Banerjee alleged that voters from minority communities had been deleted from the electoral rolls after the revision exercise, reported PTI.
“Names were being removed from the voter rolls by targeting specific communities…the Matuas, Rajbanshis and minorities,” the TMC chief reportedly said during a rally at Chakdaha in Nadia district.
The Matuas in West Bengal are Hindu Namasudras with roots in Bangladesh. The Rajbangshis are an ethnic Scheduled Caste group that has historically lived in the region of northern Bengal.
Banerjee said during the rally that the TMC will stand by those whose names were excluded from the voter rolls, reported PTI.
Also read:
[*]Millions of Bengalis may lose their vote. Not over citizenship but due to clerical errors
[*]Mehebub Sheikh was forced into Bangladesh – but still made it to the Bengal SIR voter list
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