West Bengal SIR: Final Electoral Roll Shows 60 Lakh Voters in Legal Limbo |
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Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday (February 28) published the final electoral roll for West Bengal with over 60 lakh voters marked as under adjudication, a move that has plunged the state into a climate of intense anxiety, confusion and chaos. This unprecedented administrative status, affecting a staggering 60,06,675 electors, leaves nearly 8.5% of the state’s voting population in legal limbo just as the electoral machinery kicks into high gear.
While these electors remain on the final roll published on February 28, 2026, their ability to cast a ballot remains suspended pending judicial clearance, a hurdle that has turned the routine update of the voter list into a statewide crisis.
An analysis of the data by The Wire reveals a stark geographical and demographic skew. The list shows a disproportionate concentration in just five districts, all with significant Muslim populations, which accounts for a staggering 58.65% of the total electorate marked as under adjudication. The minority-dominated belt of Murshidabad (11,01,145), Malda (8,28,127), and North Dinajpur (4,80,341) alone accounts for over 2.4 million flagged names. Significant numbers were also flagged in the 24 Parganas, with North 24 Parganas recording 5,91,252 and South 24 Parganas with 5,22,042 adjudicated names, alongside substantial figures in East Burdwan (3,65,539), Nadia (2,67,940) and Cooch Behar........