Malda, Jan. 30 -- The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Malda has triggered a fresh political storm, with the ruling Trinamool Congress alleging that minority-dominated Assembly constituencies are being selectively targeted under the guise of "logical discrepancies". The BJP, however, has rejected the charge, insisting that the exercise is aimed solely at ensuring a clean and transparent voter list.

Malda, one of West Bengal's key border districts, has 12 Assembly constituencies. Of these, four are currently held by the BJP, while the remaining seats-including Sujapur, Ratua, Manikchak, Mothabari, Baishnabnagar, Harishchandrapur, Malatipur and Chanchal-are represented by the Trinamool Congress. The district also has a substantial minority population.

According to Election Commission sources, a large number of voters from specific Assembly segments have been issued notices for hearings due to "logical discrepancies". Among BJP-held constituencies, in English Bazar, around 42,000 voters have been flagged, while in Habibpur the figure stands at about 27,000 and in Gazole nearly 50,000.

However, the numbers are significantly higher in Trinamool-held constituencies. Sujapur alone accounts for around 1.30 lakh voters receiving notices, followed by Ratua with nearly 1.10 lakh. In Mothabari, about 99,000 voters have been flagged, Manikchak around 82,000, and Baishnabnagar and Malatipur approximately 75,000 each.

The Trinamool Congress has termed this trend "deeply suspicious." Malda district TMC president Abdur Rahim Boxi said: "Under the name of SIR, minority voters are being targeted. At the same time, constituencies held by Trinamool Congress are witnessing a sharp rise in notices. This cannot be a coincidence."

Chanchal, one of Malda's newer Assembly segments formed in 2011, has emerged as a focal point of the controversy. Of its nearly 2.5 lakh voters listed in the 2025 electoral roll, about 70 per cent belong to minority communities,

while around 80,000 voters from the constituency have been flagged for logical discrepancies. Sources say that nearly 16,000 names were dropped from the draft SIR list due to reasons such as death, duplication or migration. Chanchal TMC MLA Nihar Ghosh alleged: "The SIR process is clearly targeting minorities. Along with the BJP, a newly formed party in Murshidabad is also acting as their 'B-team' to cut minority votes. This will not succeed."

Similar concerns have surfaced in Harishchandrapur, another minority-dominated seat. Its MLA and state minister Tajmul Hossain recently appeared at a hearing centre. "Out of around 2.56 lakh voters in my constituency, nearly one lakh have been called for hearings. Around 80,000 of them are from minority communities," he said.

The BJP has dismissed the allegations. South Malda president of BJP Ajay Gangopadhyay said: "Our party workers have also been summoned. If documents are in order, why fear hearings?" Echoing him, North Malda BJP president Pratap Singha said: "SIR is meant to ensure a transparent voter list. Trinamool is panicking because it benefits from bogus entries."

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.