They voted in 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Now, their names are off the Bengal voter list

A resident of Asanpara village and a mason by profession, Sheikh has worked in different parts of the country – Delhi, Chennai, Odisha. Six of his siblings are on the voter list, but Antu and his elder sister, Lalmoni Khatun, have been deleted after adjudication.

Antu Sheikh (42)

Antu voted in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and previous elections, too. “We were called for a hearing on February 24 at the Bhagabangola high school field. Earlier, we were served a notice in the ‘six or more children’ category (logical discrepancy). My sister and I submitted all documents, including our father’s death certificate, since he was a voter in 2002. We also have land records from 1948. But our names have been deleted,” said Antu.

“Whose fault is it that we can’t vote? If we protest, the police will put us behind bars. I applied online to the tribunal yesterday. I voted in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls at the primary school in our village. Every time there is an election, I make it a point to return home. This time, I am home but cannot vote,” said Antu. “I worry that I won’t get work without my voter card; many employers ask for it.”

Premendra Mani Pradhan

Premendra Mani Pradhan (36), working professional from Darjeeling

Pradhan has an MTech in engineering and works at a private university in Barasat, North 24 Parganas. He is the only person from an extended family of 35 whose name has been deleted.

“I was under adjudication, but unfortunately, no notice was served to me for the hearing. My BLO asked me to submit my birth certificate and Madhyamik (secondary examination) documents, which I did. I also have a passport. But my name has been deleted from the electoral list,” said Pradhan.

“I voted in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and in earlier elections too. The ECI portal should mention why a voter’s name has been deleted and allow them to submit documents online. I have appealed online to the tribunal, but I am not sure if I will be able to vote this time,” said Pradhan.

Syed Reza Ali Mirza (82), a descendant of Nawab Mir Jafar from Murshidabad

Syed Reza Ali Mirza

Reza, known locally as ‘Chote Nawab’, and his son Syed Md Fayeem Mirza, 42, were among those whose names were deleted after the adjudication process. They are the descendants of Mir Jafar, the commander-in-chief of Nawab Siraj ud-Daulah’s army, who went on to become the Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha after siding with the British in the 1757 Battle of Plassey.

Reza’s, his son’s and his daughter-in-law’s names have been deleted from the electoral list, but Reza’s wife’s name remains. Fayeem teaches at a local government school and is the TMC councillor for ward 10 of Murshidabad municipality.

“I voted in 2002. We got notices and went for a hearing in December at a local government college. We stood in a long queue and submitted all documents, including proof that I was a retired state government employee. My son, a school teacher and local councillor, submitted documents including the admit card of his Class 10 examinations. But our names were deleted,” Reza said.

“I voted during the Lok Sabha polls. But this time they have snatched my right. We have appealed online to the tribunals. Will I be able to vote again, or will I be able to be buried in the graveyard where my ancestors lie – that is the question. That is my last wish,” he said.

Shukla Dutta (63), homemaker from Kolkata

Shukla Dutta

“I have been exercising my voting right for more than 40 years in this state. My husband Bidyut Dutta’s name and mine were on the 2002 electoral roll as well. We cast our votes at Kashipur Girls’ School. When SIR was announced, I tried to locate my name in the 2002 electoral roll, but could not find it. I lost my documents in the 1971 flood. At the time, I was residing at my maternal home in Behula, Hooghly district,” she said.

“When I was called for the hearing, I showed my son’s birth certificate from 1984, where my name and my husband’s name are also mentioned, along with other documents and my nearly forty-year-old EPIC card. Even then, my name was deleted. I have challenged that decision at the tribunal. Where will I go if my name is deleted, because the voter card is one of our main identity documents and has been submitted to all my bank accounts and other records?”

Md Yasin Mahaladar (53), advocate from Malda

Md Yasin Mahaladar

Mahaladar began practising at the Malda district court in 2002, the year the last SIR was held. Now his name has been deleted, but his son’s name remains in the electoral list.

Speaking with The Indian Express, Mahaladar said, “My father’s and my name were in the electoral list of 2002. I have been a practising lawyer since 2002. Yet I was called for a hearing, where I presented my lawyer’s identity card, land deed and educational certificates. But when the supplementary list was released, my name was deleted. My son’s name is on the voter list,” said Mahaladar.

Mahaladar was a candidate for the CPI(M) in a Zilla Parishad seat in Malda in the 2023 panchayat polls and voted in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Sahanara Bibi (46), homemaker from Tetulberia village in Minakhan

Sahanara Bibi

Just 15 when she was married off, Bibi said she got her voter ID made the moment she turned 18. “Since then, till 2024, I have always voted. Never missed one election. This is the first time I might not be able to vote. My husband’s name is on the electoral roll, but not mine. I want to ask those who have made such rules – every Indian has the right to vote. Why shouldn’t I?”

Kutubuddin Dhali (33), daily wager from Debitala village in Minakhan

Kutubuddin Dhali

Ever since the SIR process started, Dhali, who earns around Rs 12,000 a month, has been so busy with paperwork that he hasn’t taken on much work.

“I am clueless as to why my name has been deleted. I have appealed to the tribunal. Even if we have to go to the Supreme Court, we will, but the point is that we have no time. And if we are not able to vote, what is the use of all the effort we have been putting in since day one of SIR? I don’t want to lose my basic rights,” he said.

Ashura Bibi (26), homemaker from Nimicha village in Minakhan

Ashura Bibi

“In some of my documents, my name was Ashura Bibi, and in others, it was Bibi Ashura. As a result, my name has been removed from the electoral roll, while my husband’s remains. I am really scared – what if they send me to some detention camp? Ever since I got married, I never bothered about documents; perhaps that has been our mistake. But we women are so busy with household responsibilities; when do we get time to correct our documents? One election is not a very big thing for me, but I just hope things don’t turn worse than this,” she said.

Azida Tarafdar (45), homemaker from Minakhan

Azida Tarafdar

Tarafdar is unsure what to do next. “Since the time the SIR process began, I followed all instructions and submitted every document. I went to the hearings, but my name was still deleted. Now I have been at this BDO office for the last two hours trying to find out if my online application has been accepted or not,” she said.

“The officials here said they are not dealing with online cases. I have been voting since I was 18. I also voted in ߨ now, suddenly, I am running out of time to prove my identity. If it were only about the 2026 vote, it would still be fine, but you never know. They might suddenly issue a new directive against those who did not cast their vote. Are we not Indian? If we are, then why are we facing this?” she said.

Roshida Khatun (40), homemaker from Minakhan

Roshida Khatun

Holding her voter ID card at the BDO office, Khatun said, “My name has been deleted, and the reasons are best known to those who did it. We followed all their orders. I have submitted dozens of documents to date. I fear they might freeze my bank account, saying I don’t have a voter ID card or adequate documents. In many cases, names have been deleted due to spelling mismatches. For hospital admission, too, we require voter ID cards. This means not only are we deprived of a place on the voter list, but we will not get any assistance from the government or its welfare schemes.”