Human rights groups allege pattern of voter exclusion in border areas of Bengal

By A Representative 

A serious allegation of large-scale voter disenfranchisement has been brought before the Election Commission of India by Kirity Roy, Secretary of the Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) and National Convenor of the Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity, through a formal complaint dated 13 April 2026. The representation highlights the alleged arbitrary deletion of names of legitimate citizens from electoral rolls in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, specifically in Gobra village under the Swarupnagar Assembly Constituency.

According to the submission, a fact-finding inquiry has revealed that multiple eligible voters were removed from the rolls without due process, allegedly in violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. The complaint asserts that such actions undermine the constitutional guarantees enshrined under Article 14 of the Constitution of India and Article 326 of the Constitution of India, which ensure equality before the law and the right to vote.

Two cases have been cited as illustrative examples. Halima Mondal (photo), a resident of Gobra village, whose name was previously included in the electoral roll with proper documentation, was allegedly removed without any notice or hearing despite clear records establishing her lineage and citizenship. Her father had been listed as a voter as early as 1955, and she herself held valid voter identification records from both West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh following a period of displacement. Similarly, Tajmira Sardar, another resident of the same village, was reportedly struck off the rolls despite documented proof of her identity, including land records and voter registration details of her family members. The complaint alleges that her removal was based on questionable grounds related to her parentage, which it terms legally untenable.

The representation further claims that the issue is not isolated but indicative of a broader pattern. In Booth No. 48 of the Swarupnagar Assembly Constituency, at least 20 out of 727 voters have reportedly been removed, with a disproportionate impact on women from marginalized Muslim communities. The complaint suggests that many of these deletions were carried out without lawful verification, raising concerns about systemic exclusion.

It is also alleged that affected individuals have submitted applications for inclusion using prescribed procedures, including Form 6, both online and offline, to the district authorities. However, these applications reportedly remain pending without adjudication or opportunity for hearing. The ongoing Special Intensive Revision process has been described in the complaint as non-transparent and exclusionary, with allegations that minor clerical inconsistencies and socio-economic factors such as migration or marital status have been used to justify deletions.

The petition calls for immediate restoration of the deleted names, a time-bound inquiry into the alleged irregularities, and directions to local election authorities to process pending applications with due diligence. It also seeks the issuance of strict guidelines to prevent arbitrary exclusions and demands a halt to further deletions in the affected areas until procedural safeguards are ensured.

The complaint emphasizes that the right to vote is central to democratic governance and warns that arbitrary disenfranchisement, particularly of vulnerable populations, risks eroding public trust in the electoral system.