The release of the first supplementary voter list by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for the 2026 elections in West Bengal has sparked serious concerns after an entire section of voters was found to have been deleted from the rolls.
The anomaly surfaced in Part 5 of the Basirhat North Assembly constituency, where applications of 340 voters, mostly Muslims, were pending adjudication. In a startling development, every single one of those names has been marked as “deleted” in the newly published list.
Adding to the controversy, the name of the Booth Level Officer (BLO) assigned to the same section, Mohammed Safiul Alam, has also reportedly been omitted from the voter list.
Confirming the development, Alam said, “The report is accurate. The names of 340 individuals were pending adjudication; every single one of those names has now been deleted.”
Alam, who was responsible for processing voter applications in the area, said he had personally digitised the documents submitted by applicants. “For most individuals, the documentation was in order. There were discrepancies in a few cases, but it is inexplicable why all names—including those with valid documents—have been deleted,” he said.
Describing the situation as confusing, he added that due process had been followed before the list’s publication. “There were hearings, followed by adjudication, and all documents were resubmitted to the authorities. Yet, when I received the final list, all 340 names had been marked as deleted,” Alam stated.
The development has left affected voters in panic, as none of them will now be able to cast their votes unless their names are restored. Many have approached the BLO for assistance, but he maintains that he has no authority to intervene further at this stage.
Alam also alleged a lack of urgency among higher officials. “Even after informing the EROs and AEROs, they are not treating the matter seriously and are instead advising us to approach the Tribunal,” he claimed.
The ECI has urged affected voters not to panic and has set up 19 Tribunals across 23 districts to address grievances. Each Tribunal will be headed by a retired judge.
However, the complete deletion of all 340 voters from a single electoral section—along with the omission of the BLO’s own name—has raised serious questions, with observers calling the incident unprecedented.
Affected individuals have been advised to file appeals both offline, at designated administrative offices, and online through the ECI’s official platforms.
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