TMC refutes Anurag Thakur’s voter list manipulation claim

Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday presented electoral data to refute BJP leader Anurag Thakur’s allegation of voter list manipulation in Diamond Harbour Parliamentary Constituency.

Addressing the media on Thursday, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the claims were made “without proper verification” and were contradicted by official electoral roll figures. Thakur had alleged on Wednesday that the number of voters in Diamond Harbour, represented by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, had seen an unusual rise over the past four years, indicating manipulation.

Thakur also claimed that a large number of electors were listed under a single house number in some areas.

Presenting a point-by-point rebuttal, Ghosh cited data from Booth No. 265 under the Diamond Harbour Assembly Constituency, where Thakur had claimed discrepancies. According to TMC, ‘House No. n001’ in this booth had 47 registered voters. Of these, 41 currently reside there. The remaining six include one deceased person, one resident of Odisha, three who have moved due to marriage, and one working outside the area.

TMC clarified that the “n” prefix in the house number denotes a “notional” house number in the Election Commission’s ERONet system, used in rural Bengal where actual house numbering is not followed, and does not indicate irregularities.

Addressing Thakur’s claim of a 15 per cent increase in voters in the Constituency over the last four years, TMC shared electoral roll data showing otherwise. Between the final rolls of 2021 and 2025, Diamond Harbour Assembly Constituency recorded a voter increase of 4.70 per cent, while Falta Assembly Constituency saw a 4.09 per cent rise.

Ghosh further said the details provided by Banerjee had been shared with Thakur, along with explanations for each alleged discrepancy.

The party maintained that the data disproved any suggestion of manipulation and that the increase in voter numbers was consistent with normal demographic changes in the area. TMC also reiterated its demand that if a Special Investigation Report (SIR) into voter rolls is to be conducted, it should cover the entire Lok Sabha rather than targeting states governed by Opposition parties.