Muslim Voters Account for Highest Share of ‘Logical Discrepancies’ in South Kolkata During SIR, Study Reveals

Kolkata: A study conducted during the Election Commission’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has revealed a striking pattern in South Kolkata’s voter data. According to the report, Muslim voters form a disproportionately large share of those flagged under the category of “Logical Discrepancies” in two politically significant Assembly constituencies — Bhawanipur and Ballygunge.

The findings have triggered fresh controversy over the software-driven filtering process used during the revision exercise, with political parties demanding greater transparency and an independent audit.

Bhawanipur and Ballygunge Show High Minority Representation in Flagged Category

The study, conducted by Sabar Institute, found that in Bhawanipur, nearly 52% of the voters marked for “logical discrepancies” were Muslims. In Ballygunge, the figure was even higher at around 78%, raising concerns about possible uneven impact on minority communities.

As per the data:

• In Bhawanipur, out of 15,145 voters flagged for logical discrepancies, 7,846 were Muslims.
• In Ballygunge, out of 30,008 such voters, 23,256 belonged to the minority community.

The researchers noted that the proportion of Muslims in this category was significantly higher compared to other classifications used during the revision process.

Disparity Noted When Compared With Other Categories

The study highlighted that in Bhawanipur, Muslims constituted only:

• 22.7% of voters marked as Absent, Shifted or Dead/Duplicate (ASD)
• Around 26% among unmapped voters

These figures align closely with the constituency’s Muslim population share of around 20%, based on the 2011 Census estimates. However, under the “logical discrepancy” filter, the ratio sharply increased to 52%.

A similar trend was observed in Ballygunge, where Muslims accounted for about:

• 44% of ASD voters
• 42% of unmapped voters

These numbers broadly match the constituency’s estimated Muslim population share of nearly 50%, but the spike to 78% in the logical discrepancy category has raised eyebrows.

Election Commission Rejects Allegations of Bias

Election Commission officials have dismissed allegations of targeted filtering, stating that religion is not recorded in electoral rolls and that the Commission does not maintain religion-wise voter data.

An Election Commission official said the revision process is based purely on documentation, mapping, and verification protocols, and not on any religious or community classification.

Political Reactions Intensify

The report has sparked strong political reactions across the spectrum.

Political analyst Udayan Bandyopadhyay alleged that the AI-based programme used in the revision process may have been designed in a manner that disproportionately affects minority voters, particularly women.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress (TMC) spokesperson Kunal Ghosh accused the BJP of using the SIR process to target Muslim-majority areas and manipulate voter lists.

On the other hand, West Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya rejected the criticism, stating that the issue has nothing to do with religion. He claimed that the real concern is the alleged inclusion of illegal immigrants in electoral rolls.

Demand Grows for Audit of Software-Based Filtering

The findings have intensified calls for an independent audit of the software system used for identifying “logical discrepancies” during the SIR process. Critics argue that transparency is essential to ensure that the voter revision exercise does not unfairly affect any particular community.

The controversy is expected to add further political heat in Kolkata, where electoral roll revisions remain a sensitive and highly debated issue.