Kolkata: In the face of BJP’s relentless allegations that illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants were present in large numbers in Bengal, which could influence the electoral outcome, the ruling Trinamool Congress said that not a single Rohingya immigrant was detected among around 58 lakh voters whose names have been deleted from the draft rolls.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that Bengal hosts “one crore Rohingyas and Bangladeshis”. The draft rolls, released after a month of enumeration, verification and scrutiny ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, detailed deletions on grounds ranging from death and permanent migration to duplication and non-submission of enumeration forms. While over 58 lakh names have been removed, the EC’s categorisation shows that the count of ‘fake’ voters falls far short of the BJP leader’s repeated claims.
Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the Election Commission of India (ECI) failed to trace a single Rohingya in Bengal out of 58 lakh voters whose names were deleted.
Referring to Adhikari’s “Rohingya” remarks, Ghosh said the Leader of Opposition should pay a trip to Myanmar and see who Rohingyas look like.
Trinamool Congress already accused the BJP of attempting to communalise a statutory revision exercise. Ghosh had alleged that BJP leaders were using religion for “vote marketing”, adding that Adhikari was resorting to such comments “because he knows his party will lose.”
Adhikari said Hindus who came from Bangladesh “are not infiltrators but pilgrims” and they will stay, while “Bangladesh Muslims and Rohingyas will have to flee Bengal”. He added that such people were “running back now” and that if the BJP forms the government in Bengal, “infiltrators will be thrown out”.