DELETED FROM THE VOTERS’ LIST: KOLKATA MAN TAKES HIS FIGHT FOR DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS TO DELHI

November 1, 2026

A 42-year-old Muslim resident of Kolkata’s Chowringhee constituency has brought his experience of being removed from the electoral rolls to a symbolic public impeachment proceeding against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi, highlighting the difficulties faced by voters affected by the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

Despite possessing a passport, Aadhaar card, PAN card, driving licence and educational certificates, the man found his name missing from the revised electoral rolls. He had previously voted in every election since becoming eligible. More than 87,600 names were reportedly deleted from the Chowringhee constituency, which recorded the highest proportion of voter deletions in Kolkata, at approximately 41 per cent.

The report highlights a significant disparity in the constituency’s deletion figures. Muslims account for slightly more than 30 per cent of Chowringhee’s population but constitute around 65 per cent of those placed on the Election Commission’s “logical discrepancy” list. Such discrepancies reportedly concern perceived mismatches involving voters’ names, parents’ names or age differences between family members.

The man received a hearing notice in December 2025, but said it did not specify the precise discrepancy in his records. At a hearing at Hare School on College Street, he presented his identity documents and educational certificates, maintaining that his name and his father's name were consistently recorded across the documents. Nevertheless, his name appeared among those deleted in a supplementary electoral roll published late on March 23.

He subsequently filed an online appeal before an SIR tribunal on April 6. However, when he last checked its status, the application was still pending. The uncertainty has also raised concerns about the renewal of his passport and driving licence, despite his possession of those documents and his history of participation in elections.

Speaking at the New Delhi gathering organised by the INDIA bloc, he said his participation in the democratic process mattered beyond the electoral victory or defeat of any political party. He argued that losing his vote had also deprived him of his opportunity to participate in the country's democratic system. He said he was prepared to approach the Supreme Court if necessary.

Rights activist and researcher Sabir Ahamed, who accompanied him, also raised concerns about the impact of the SIR process on Muslims, women and marginalised communities. The episode has brought individual experiences of electoral-roll deletion into the wider national debate over voter verification, procedural transparency and the protection of voting rights.