Key Highlights
- Newsroom ReviewedChief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Bhabanipur constituency has recorded one of the highest voter deletions in West Bengal, logging nearly four times more removals than Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari's Nandigram, according to constituency-wise data released by the Election Commission (EC) on Friday. The EC released the figures a day after the deadline for submitting enumeration forms under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process ended, revealing significant variations across the state and adding a fresh political edge ahead of next week's draft rolls. Data showed that Bhabanipur in south Kolkata, widely regarded as Banerjee's pocket borough, recorded 44,787 deletions from the 2,06,295 voters listed in January 2025, while Nandigram, the crucible of the anti-land acquisition movement that propelled the TMC to power in 2011 and stronghold of Adhikari, saw 10,599 deletions from 2,78,212 voters. The commission has classified the deletions under standard categories such as deaths, relocation, untraceable addresses and duplicate entries. Officials maintained the process followed uniform criteria statewide. Despite the political attention on Bhabanipur, it was not the constituency with the highest number of deletions. Among the state's 294 Assembly constituencies, the highest number of deletions occurred in north Kolkata's Chowringhee represented by TMC MLA Nayana Bandyopadhyay, which saw 74,553 voters struck off the rolls.
- A three-time MLA, she had won the seat by a margin of more than 44,000 votes in 2021. Kolkata Port, represented by senior minister and Mayor Firhad Hakim, logged 63,730 deletions. Hakim, a three-time MLA, had won the seat by a margin of around 70,000 votes, a factor that cemented his grip over the constituency. In Tollygunge, held by minister Aroop Biswas, 35,309 names were removed. Biswas, a four-time MLA, had retained the seat in 2021 with a margin of about 50,000 votes, underscoring his organisational control over one of Kolkata's most politically crucial belts. In constituencies held by key BJP legislators, deletion numbers were higher than Nandigram but lower than Kolkata Port. Asansol South, represented by Agnimitra Paul, recorded 39,202 deletions. Paul had won the seat by a slender margin of barely 4,000 votes, making it one of the BJP's closest-fought victories in the 2021 Assembly elections. Siliguri, represented by Shankar Ghosh, reported 31,181 deletions. Ghosh, a former CPI(M) leader who switched to the BJP ahead of the 2021 polls, had captured the Siliguri seat with a margin of over 35,000 votes, marking one of the BJP's most significant breakthroughs in north Bengal. In Behala West, represented by suspended TMC MLA Partha Chatterjee, 52,247 names were removed, while neighbouring Behala East, held by Ratna Chatterjee, saw 53,036 deletions. In Shyampukur, represented by minister Shashi Panja, there were 42,303 deletions, while Ballygunge, represented by minister Babul Supriyo, the former BJP MP and Union minister who switched to the TMC after the 2021 Assembly polls, saw 65,171 deletions. ALSO READBJP Will Bring Tatas Back In Bengal If It Wins 2026 Assembly Polls: SuvenduOpinionBJP Will Bring Tatas Back In Bengal If It Wins 2026 Assembly Polls: SuvenduRead MoreOther deletion-heavy constituencies included Dum Dum, held by education minister Bratya Basu, with 33,862 voters struck off the ; North Dum Dum, represented by minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, with 33,912; Chandannagar,.
