Kolkata: Bhowanipore Constituency has lost 51,005 voters following the adjudication process under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), shrinking its electorate by nearly 25 per cent.
The Constituency is among the most high-profile in the state, with Trinamool Congress chairperson and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee contesting against BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari.
Before the SIR exercise, Bhowanipore had 2,06,295 voters. In the first phase, 44,787 names were removed under categories such as absent, shifted, deceased and duplicate (ASDD). The second phase saw 2,342 deletions and 18 additions. Subsequently, around 14,154 voters were placed under adjudication, of whom 3,893 were removed.
A study by research organisation Sabar Institute, based on supplementary lists published after adjudication by judicial officers, has flagged a disproportionate impact on Muslims. The study found that 40.1 per cent of those deleted were Muslims, though they constitute around 20 per cent of the population.
In contrast, non-Muslims, who make up about 80 per cent of the population, accounted for 59.9 per cent of the deletions—significantly lower than their population share.
Researchers Ashin Chakraborty, Souptik Halder and Sabir Ahamed noted that 43.4 per cent of non-Muslims were placed under adjudication. Of those ultimately deleted from the final roll, 7.7 per cent were Muslims, while 92.3 per cent were non-Muslims.
The study also highlighted that in the draft list, Muslims accounted for 22.7 per cent of deletions marked as ASDD—slightly above their population share—while non-Muslims accounted for 77.3 per cent, slightly below theirs.
In Nandigram, the institute’s analysis found that although Muslims constitute around 25 per cent of the population, nearly 95.5 per cent of voters deleted from the supplementary list belonged to the community. The Constituency is witnessing a contest between Adhikari and Trinamool Congress candidate Pabitra Kar.