BJP chief claims ‘over 50 lakh infiltrators’ removed from Bengal electoral rolls

A day after the release of West Bengal’s post-SIR election rolls in which 63.66 lakh names were deleted, BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Sunday (March 1, 2026) claimed that “more than 50 lakh infiltrators” have been removed from the voter list and said “time is up for illegal immigrants” in the State.

We speak as we wave the party’s flags at a rally in Cooch Behar ‘Poriborton Yatra’Mr. Nabin alleged that those removed from the electoral rolls were “infiltrators” who were taking advantage of government jobs and welfare programs for genuine citizens.

“More than 50 lakh spies have been removed from the voter list. These spies are not only violating the rights of legitimate citizens but also endangering the security of the country,” he said.

The BJP chief alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee “provided protection to infiltrators by helping them obtain fake documents”.

Making a scathing attack on the TMC leadership, Mr. Nabin said, “Mamata Banerjee rushed to the courts to protect those who infiltrated the voter lists because it is her party’s vote bank. But when women face humiliation, you choose to look the other way.”

He further said, “Our message to the infiltrators is that it is time to expel them from the territory of Bengal. We must not only expel the infiltrators but also form a determined government that can usher in development.” Alleging TMC’s “misrule”, Mr Nabin said the state “must be saved from the corrupt TMC government that works only for infiltrators”: “Bengal is yearning for a change. People are looking for a real ‘change’.”poriborton‘ he said.

His remarks came a day after the Election Commission released the post-SIR lists; this marked a comprehensive electoral reset just months ahead of the Assembly elections.

According to official data released on Saturday, February 28, 2026, 63.66 lakh names, around 8.3% of the electorate, have been deleted since the start of the Special Intensive Revision in November last year, reducing the voter base from 7.66 crore to just over 7.04 crore.

The 116-day State-wide exercise, the first massive overhaul since 2002, also placed over 60.06 lakh voters in the “under jurisdiction” category, whose eligibility will now be subject to judicial review in the coming weeks, a process that could further recalibrate Constituency-level equations.

The draft lists, published on December 16 last year, had reduced the number of voters from 7.66 crore to 7.08 crore and deleted more than 58 lakh names on grounds such as death, migration, duplication and untraceability.

After hearings and disposal of claims and objections, another 5.46 lakh deletions were recorded through Form-7 applications, taking the total omissions linked to SIR to nearly 63.66 lakh.