Ahead of the April 23 West Bengal assembly election, reports allege that India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission have systematically removed large numbers of Muslim voters from the rolls. The revision process, known as SIR, began in November 2025 and resulted in 9.1 million voters being excluded from the final list published in April 2026. Analysts and opposition parties claim that 41 percent of those removed are Muslims, despite Muslims comprising only 27 percent of the state’s population. Districts with high Muslim populations, such as Murshidabad, North 24 Parganas, and Malda, saw the highest numbers of deletions.

Reports from journalists and research institutes suggest that the voter exclusions disproportionately affect areas where the Trinamool Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, has historically dominated. The Sabar Institute’s analysis found that in Nandigram and Bhabanipur—key constituencies where BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari is contesting—most of the removed names were Muslim. The Election Commission maintains that the process targeted deceased and fake voters, but opposition parties and analysts argue it was politically motivated.

Observers warn that the large-scale disenfranchisement could significantly influence the election outcome in closely contested constituencies.