What Actions is Mamata Banerjee Taking After 44,700 Voters Were Removed from Bhabanipur?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- 44,770 voters have been excluded from the Bhabanipur constituency's draft list.
- Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has called for vigilance among Trinamool Congress BLAs.
- Concerns over wrongful categorization of voters are being addressed.
- Election integrity is vital as the political landscape evolves.
Kolkata, Dec 16 (NationPress) Following the release of the draft voters' list in West Bengal on Tuesday, it was revealed that a striking 44,770 voters from the previous list as of October 2025 have been omitted from the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency in Kolkata, represented by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. In response, she has instructed the Trinamool Congress booth level agents (BLAs) in her area to remain particularly vigilant during the upcoming sessions concerning claims and objections on the draft voters' list.
On Tuesday evening, shortly after the draft voters' list was published, Chief Minister Banerjee convened a meeting with Trinamool Congress Councillors from eight wards of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) within the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency, as well as the party's BLAs.
Among those present were State Trinamool Congress President Subrata Bakshi and West Bengal Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister and KMC Mayor Firhad Hakim.
According to a Councillor who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the Chief Minister emphasized the need to verify the names of those excluded, particularly focusing on deceased and shifted voters. The BLAs have been tasked with reaching out to the addresses of these voters to validate the authenticity of the exclusions.
The Councillor indicated that the Trinamool Congress leadership suspects that some voters may have been incorrectly classified as deceased or shifted. Thus, the BLAs have been instructed to double-check these records.
In the meeting, the Chief Minister emphasized that no genuine voter should be excluded from the list, particularly paying attention to voters residing in housing complexes and high-rise buildings.
During the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, the Leader of Opposition and senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari won from Nandigram, narrowly defeating Chief Minister Banerjee by less than 2,000 votes. Subsequently, CM Banerjee was elected in a by-election from Bhabanipur, allowing her to retain the Chief Minister's position for a third consecutive term.