Kolkata: The final voters’ list under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal was published on Saturday, revealing significant deletions in two high-profile Assembly constituencies- Bhabanipur and Nandigram.

According to data released by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, a total of 47,111 names have been deleted from the electoral rolls in Bhabanipur Assembly constituency, represented by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

In contrast, 10,994 names were removed from the voters’ list in Nandigram Assembly constituency, represented by Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.

More deletions likely after Judicial review

The figures could change further as several voter documents remain under judicial adjudication.

In Bhabanipur, documents of 14,154 voters are currently under review, raising the possibility of additional deletions.

In Nandigram, 8,819 voter records are under adjudication.

Election officials have indicated that the final status of these names will depend on the outcome of the ongoing verification process.

At the time of reporting, there was no official reaction from the ruling All India Trinamool Congress regarding the large number of deletions in Bhabanipur.

However, Suvendu Adhikari of the Bharatiya Janata Party commented on the development, claiming the situation could be politically significant.

“In Bhabanipur, an adequate number of voters are not there anymore who can ensure the Chief Minister’s victory in the Assembly polls scheduled later this year,” Adhikari said.

2021 election background

The development gains significance in light of the 2021 Assembly elections. Mamata Banerjee had contested from Nandigram but was defeated by Suvendu Adhikari. She later contested a by-election from Bhabanipur, securing victory and continuing as Chief Minister for a third consecutive term.