BJP flags ‘disproportionate’ increase of Muslim voters in Bengal; TMC calls claim ‘baseless’

The BJP stated that the number of Muslim voters more than doubled in 37 Lok Sabha seats out of 42 in West Bengal, but Hindu electors doubled in only three Lok Sabha seats between 2002 and 2025.

Muslim voters are wating in a queue to cast vote in Tripura assembly by-election. (File photo)

The BJP claims Muslim electors in Bengal have risen sharply over 23 years, citing demographic shifts and alleged illegal migration. (Representative photo)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently submitted a document to the Election Commission of India (ECI) claiming that the share of Muslim voters in West Bengal increased by 127.7 per cent while the percentage of Hindu electors rose by 72.3 in the last 23 years.

The document submitted by the BJP reads, “From 2002 to 2025, total electors in West Bengal rose from 3.93 crore to 7.24 crore, an 84.1 per cent increase. Hindu electors grew from 3.1 crore to 5.3 crore, up 72.3%, while Muslim electors rose from 83.9 lakh to 1.9 crore, a whopping 127.7%. Hindu voter % (percentage) fell from 78.68% to 73.62%, and Muslim % rose from 21.32% to 26.38%.”

The saffron party also claimed that the number of Muslim voters more than doubled in 37 Lok Sabha seats, but Hindu electors doubled in only three Lok Sabha seats.

“At the Assembly level, the broadening is sharper because ACs (assembly constituencies) are smaller and more sensitive to local shifts. The number of Muslim-dominated ACs has increased from 45 to 60 between 2002 and 2025… On multiplicative change, Muslim numbers have more than doubled in 231 ACs compared with 28 ACs for Hindus; Muslim numbers have more than tripled in 7 ACs,” the document further reads.

The BJP also alleged that Kolkata and its adjoining districts of North and South 24 Parganas have seen huge illegal migration from Bangladesh.

Also Read | New Bengal BJP chief says party not against Muslims, wants no riots

Jagannath Chattopadhyay, General Secretary, Bengal BJP unit, said, “The challenge of meaningful SIR (Special Intensive Revision) in West Bengal has to be gauged in the context of the demographic pattern of the state. ECI should focus on demographic change, and the cleansing process should be done accordingly. If illegal migrants manage to keep their names in the voter list, then SIR is of no use.”

The ruling TMC countered the BJP’s claims. TMC spokesperson Jayprakash Majumder said, “The data that the BJP is producing is baseless. There was no census organised after 2011. The Muslim population increase can only be gauged through the census report. In general, the fertility rate of West Bengal is lower than the national rate. The fertility rate of West Bengal is less than 2.1 per cent. Then, how can such an increase be possible? So, it is basically baseless and another example of the BJP’s divisive politics.”

Atri Mitra

Atri Mitra is a Special Correspondent of The Indian Express with more than 20 years of experience in reporting from West Bengal, Bihar and the North-East. He has been covering administration and political news for more than ten years and has a keen interest in political development in West Bengal. Atri holds a Master degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University and Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. He is also an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. He started his career with leading vernacular daily the Anandabazar Patrika, and worked there for more than fifteen years. He worked as Bihar correspondent for more than three years for Anandabazar Patrika. He covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections. He also worked with News18-Bangla and covered the Bihar Lok Sabha election in 2019. ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram