Owaisi flags 24 lakh missing Bengal voters, AIMIM launches voter aid drive
Synopsis
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi alleged on 18 July 2026 that 24 lakh people in West Bengal are alive but absent from voter lists. He announced that AIMIM is running an app and help desk in Telangana and other states to ensure no genuine voter is dropped from electoral rolls.
Key Takeaways
Owaisi alleged 24 lakh people in West Bengal are alive but missing from the electoral rolls as of 18 July 2026 .
AIMIM has launched an app and help desk in Telangana and other states to assist voters in getting their names included or retained on voter lists.
The 24 lakh figure cited by Owaisi has not been independently verified; NationPress reports it as an allegation.
The Election Commission of India periodically revises electoral rolls through Special Summary Revisions; parties are permitted to assist voters during this process.
AIMIM 's voter outreach in states beyond its Telangana base signals continued efforts to expand its political footprint in eastern and northern India.
Any formal ECI response or upcoming revision notification for West Bengal will be a key development to watch.
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday, 18 July 2026, alleged that 24 lakh people in West Bengal are alive but absent from the electoral rolls, and announced that his party is running an app-based help desk in Telangana and other states to prevent genuine voters from being dropped off voter lists.
Context
Posting in Hindi-Urdu, Owaisi wrote: 'Bengal mein 24 lakh log zinda hain, phir bhi unka naam voter list mein nahi hai' ['In Bengal, 24 lakh people are alive, yet their names are not on the voter list']. He linked this concern directly to AIMIM's on-ground initiative, stating the party is using an app and help desk to assist people in Telangana and other states so that 'no genuine voter's name is removed from the voter list.'
The claim about 24 lakh missing names in West Bengal has not been independently verified, and Owaisi did not cite a specific official source in the post. NationPress is reporting the allegation as made by the AIMIM president.
Policy Backdrop
The Election Commission of India (ECI) periodically conducts Special Summary Revisions of electoral rolls ahead of state assembly elections. West Bengal has historically been a flashpoint for opposition allegations of large-scale voter deletions and additions, including in the run-up to the 2021 assembly polls.
Under the Representation of the People Act, eligible citizens can file claims for inclusion or deletion using Form 6 and Form 7 respectively during designated revision periods. Political parties are permitted — and often encouraged — by the ECI to assist voters in this process through booth-level awareness drives.
Stakeholders and Impact
AIMIM, primarily based in Telangana and with a presence in parts of Maharashtra, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh, has in recent years sought to expand its footprint in eastern India, including West Bengal, where a significant Muslim population resides. Voter-list assistance programmes are a recognised tool for parties to build grassroots connect in new geographies.
If the allegation of 24 lakh omissions in West Bengal is substantiated, it would represent a substantial concern for electoral integrity in a state with a total electorate of roughly 7.5 crore registered voters. Minority communities and first-time voters are among the groups most commonly affected by errors or omissions in electoral rolls, according to civil society observers.
The app and help desk initiative AIMIM describes mirrors efforts by several national and regional parties to digitise voter-registration assistance, particularly after the ECI launched its Voter Helpline 1950 and the Voter Registration App for citizens to self-enrol.
What's Next
Attention will now turn to whether the Election Commission of India responds to the specific claim regarding West Bengal's electoral rolls, and whether opposition parties in the state take up the issue formally. Any upcoming Special Summary Revision notification from the ECI for West Bengal or other poll-bound states will determine the window during which corrections can be made.
In Parliament, debates on electoral reforms — including the proposed linkage of Aadhaar with voter IDs — are likely to draw renewed attention to the accuracy of voter lists, with parties across the spectrum citing ground-level discrepancies to bolster their positions.
Point of View
Signalling the party's intent to institutionalise its outreach rather than rely solely on rhetoric. The move also puts pressure on the Election Commission to publicly address the accuracy of West Bengal's voter lists.
NationPress
18 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Owaisi say 24 lakh people in Bengal are missing from voter lists?
Owaisi alleged on 18 July 2026 that 24 lakh people in West Bengal are alive but do not appear on the electoral rolls. He did not cite a specific official source in his post, and the figure has not been independently verified.
What is AIMIM's voter help desk and how does it work?
AIMIM is running an app-based platform and a help desk in Telangana and other states to help eligible citizens check their voter registration status and file claims for inclusion, aiming to prevent genuine voters from being dropped from electoral rolls.
Can political parties legally help voters get on the voter list?
Yes. The Election Commission of India permits and encourages political parties to assist voters in filing inclusion or correction requests during designated Special Summary Revision periods using prescribed forms.
What is a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls?
A Special Summary Revision is a periodic exercise conducted by the Election Commission of India to update electoral rolls — adding new eligible voters, removing deceased or relocated persons, and correcting errors — typically ahead of state assembly or general elections.
Is AIMIM active in West Bengal?
AIMIM has sought to expand its presence in West Bengal in recent years, though its primary base remains Telangana . The party has contested elections in Bihar , Maharashtra , and Uttar Pradesh as part of broader national ambitions.
