Nitin Nabin on Sunday claimed that more than 50 lakh so‑called “infiltrators” have been deleted from the West Bengal electoral rolls following the release of the updated voter list after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The revision, conducted ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, saw a total of 63.66 lakh names deleted from the state rolls, according to official Election Commission figures.
Addressing a rally in Cooch Behar during the flag‑off of the ‘Poriborton Yatra’, Nabin hailed the roll purification as a major political victory and said the removal marks a turning point for tackling illegal immigration in Bengal. He alleged those struck off were “infiltrators” who had been wrongly enjoying government jobs and welfare benefits, and accused Mamata Banerjee’s government of shielding them with fake documentation and legal appeals.
The BJP leader asserted that the deletions would strengthen electoral integrity and urged support for his party’s bid to form a “decisive government” in the state. He also criticised the current administration for what he described as failure to deliver development and accused it of appeasement politics.
However, the massive roll revision has become a flashpoint in Bengal’s political debate. While BJP frames it as a crackdown on illegal inclusion, critics including the All India Trinamool Congress and other opposition parties argue it risks disenfranchising legitimate voters and amounts to political manipulation ahead of elections. The Election Commission says the deletions followed procedures under SIR, with many names also placed in an “under adjudication” category pending judicial review.
The issue is likely to shape political discourse in West Bengal in the coming weeks as parties gear up for the assembly polls.
