Mon Mar 03 20:16:46 UTC 2025: ## West Bengal’s 2026 Election Campaign Heats Up Over Voter List Disputes

**Kolkata, March 4, 2025** – The upcoming 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections are shaping up to be a fierce battleground, with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) locked in a heated dispute over the state’s voter list.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP of colluding with the Election Commission of India (ECI) to add “outsiders” to the voter rolls, alleging that 20,000-30,000 non-residents per constituency could sway the election in the BJP’s favor. Banerjee has instructed her party to scrutinize the list and remove these individuals. While the ECI has denied widespread irregularities, stating that identical EPIC numbers do not automatically indicate duplicate entries, TMC workers continue to review the list.

The BJP also claims the voter list contains “outsiders,” but defines them differently. They allege that 1.7 million voters are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, demanding their removal before the election.

The differing interpretations stem from West Bengal’s history. The state’s industrial past attracted migrants from across India, and its proximity to Bangladesh has resulted in a significant population with roots in the neighboring country. This complex demographic reality underpins the political maneuvering surrounding the voter list.

Both parties’ actions echo their strategies from the 2021 election. The TMC is again emphasizing Bengali sub-nationalism, portraying the BJP as an “outsider” party dominated by Hindi-speaking leaders from outside the state. Conversely, the BJP, focusing on Hindu vote consolidation, highlights concerns about attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, warning of a similar fate for West Bengal if the TMC retains power. They have reportedly abandoned attempts to court Muslim voters.

Analysts believe the controversy is primarily a political strategy for both parties to galvanize their respective bases ahead of the election, with the coming months likely to see an escalation of their campaigns.

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