Bengal’s Muslim districts have highest number of cases awaiting adjudication under SIR

Most West Bengal voters awaiting adjudication during the special intensive revision of electoral rolls are from minority-dominated districts, according to data shared by the State’s Chief Electoral Officer.

There are 60,06,675 cases under adjudication in the final roll published on February 28, 2026. Muslim-dominated districts have the highest number of such voters, including 11 lakh in Murshidabad and eight lakh in Malda. In fact, these two districts bordering Bangladesh have almost one third of cases under adjudication. There are 4.8 lakh cases under adjudication in Uttar Dinajpur, 5.9 lakh in North 24 Parganas, and 5.2 lakh in South 24 Parganas. These districts also have a high percentage of minority population.

There are 501 judicial officers working to clear the names of 60 lakh electors, and supplementary lists will be published, in accordance with the Supreme Court’s order of February 20.

West Bengal’s final electoral roll, published on February 28, has 7.04 crore electors, 8.09% lower than when the process started on October 27, 2025.

‘Fixed target for deletion’

The Trinamool Congress leadership plans to continue its protests against the SIR. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will sit on a dharna against the Election Commission of India, on March 6 in Kolkata. The party is protesting the deletion of 62 lakh voters as well as the additional 60 lakh electors placed under adjudication. Ms. Banerjee has held several protest marches against the SIR over the past few months.

At a press conference targeting the ECI on Sunday, Trinamool Congress MP and general secretary Abhishek Banerjee alleged that the “target of deleting over one crore voters was decided even before the exercise began”.

“Even before the commencement of SIR, these leaders had said that one crore to 1.25 crore voters will be deleted. They had fixed a target. The Election Commission is acting accordingly,” Mr. Banerjee alleged. There were also some protests by a section of Matuas, a sect of Hindu refugees who had migrated to West Bengal from Bangladesh. The community has borne the brunt of the SIR process and seen a number of voter deletions, the protesters claimed.

The Trinamool Congress also highlighted the case of women’s cricket World Cup-winning star Richa Ghosh, who donned the blue jersey and brought glory to the nation, and has now been placed “under adjudication” in the final electoral rolls.