Kolkata, 02 April (H.S.): Widespread protests broke out across several districts of West Bengal on Thursday over allegations of names being removed from the voter list. What began in Malda soon spread to Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Murshidabad, and East Burdwan, disrupting traffic on multiple national and state highways.

In Malda district, protests began early in the morning in the Mangalbari area of Old Malda block. Demonstrators blocked National Highway-12 by burning tyres and setting up bamboo barricades. The blockade continued for nearly four hours before Additional District Magistrate Sheikh Ansar Ahmed reached the spot. The protest was withdrawn after he assured the demonstrators.

The unrest then spread to Jalpaiguri district, where locals in Maynaguri blocked National Highway-27 in the Husuoldanga area, leading to long queues of goods-laden vehicles. Officer-in-charge Subal Chandra Ghosh stated that the blockade began in the morning and could not be cleared for a considerable time. The highway was eventually reopened after prolonged disruption.

In Cooch Behar, residents staged a road blockade at Madrasa More in Pachagarh Gram Panchayat under Mathabhanga. Protesters raised the same issue of deletion of names from the voter list and blocked the Cooch Behar–Mathabhanga state highway for nearly three hours, burning tyres on the road.

Similar protests were reported from the Bewa-1 and Nayansukh areas of Farakka in Murshidabad district, where locals also alleged exclusion from the voter list.

In another incident in Malda’s English Bazar area, a group attempted to block NH-12 at Jadupur. When police intervened, an argument broke out, and protesters allegedly turned aggressive. A police vehicle driver reportedly sustained a head injury during the scuffle.

In East Burdwan, anger over the issue was also visible. A silent march was organized in Shaktigarh, where participants claimed that many legitimate voters’ names were being removed. The protesters later submitted a memorandum to the BDO office in Burdwan-II block.

According to the demonstrators, after the SIR process, many names have been placed under “adjudication” or “deleted” categories. The protests across districts reflect growing dissatisfaction over the voter list ahead of the elections, posing a fresh challenge for the administration and the Election Commission.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey