The two districts have witnessed a major resentment over a massive deletion of names under the controversial SIR

In Malda and Murshidabad, which together have 34 constituencies, the ruling Trinamool Congress has replaced 20 candidates, while the BJP has replaced 24 candidates for this tightly contested Assembly elections.

The two minority-dominated districts bordering Bangladesh, set to go to polls on Thursday, account for over 20 per cent of 152 Assembly constituencies voting in West Bengal’s first phase of elections. Both the districts have witnessed mass deletion of voters’ names under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the State.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress won eight of Malda’s seats and 20 of Murshidabad’s. The BJP won four and two respectively. The Congress and Left Front drew a blank in both districts — and across Bengal.

According to political analysts, most of these constituencies could see high-stakes triangular contests this time, with the Congress possibly winning a few seats.

Major resentment

Significantly, the two districts have witnessed a major resentment over a massive deletion of names under the controversial SIR. 

In a shocking incident on April 1, an angry mob held hostage seven judicial officers involved in the SIR adjudication process for several hours at the Kaliachak-II BDO office in Malda’s Mothabari.

The alleged mastermind behind the violence, Mofakkerul Islam, an AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) activist and lawyer, was arrested by West Bengal Police. West Bengal CID arrested an many as 35 people, including Islam. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been probing the incident.

The NIA arrested two Congress leaders last week over the gherao of judicial officers by locals protesting deletion of names in the SIR, and released the party’s Mothabari candidate Sayem Chowdhury after a night-long questioning.

According to locals, before the Mothabari gherao incident, it seemed like the Muslim vote would be divided between Trinamool Congress and Congress. But after this incident, there is a high chance that minority votes would be consolidated for the Trinamool as its supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is taking on the BJP and the Election Commission for the massive voter deletion under SIR.

Mass deletion

Notably, during an election rally at Chanchal in Malda district, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the Trinamool Congress cannot do anything about the mass deletion of voters during the SIR exercise. It is Congress which can fight against the massive voter deletion. Gandhi accused Trinamool of several corruptions.

“We could see triangular fight in around 50 seats across Bengal. In this Malda and Murshidabad will play a huge role. In these two districts, around 20 seats can witness a triangular fight. And, it seems that Muslim votes could consolidate in favour of Trinamool Congress as its chief Mamata Banerjee has been carrying on a continuous campaign against SIR,” Maidul Islam, Professor, Political Science, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, told businessline.

“We saw in the previous elections in Bengal that in Assembly polls regional parties’ vote share increased, while vote share of national parties rose in Lok Sabha elections,” Maidul added.

Published on April 21, 2026