Kolkata witnessed a significant development in its electoral landscape. The Election Commission published the 2026 draft electoral rolls for West Bengal. This publication revealed a startling pattern concerning voter deletions.
A Clear Gender Disparity Emerges
The data presents a clear picture. Of the total names removed from the draft rolls, over 53.6% belong to women. This percentage is notably higher than the deletions for male electors. Male deletions account for only 46.5% of the total. This indicates a substantial gender gap in the voter deletion process.
The Rural-Urban Divide Deepens the Issue
The analysis uncovers a stark contrast between rural and urban areas. Overall, the names of 58 lakh voters featured in the 2025 rolls were deleted from the 2026 draft. However, the impact was not uniform.
An analysis by the Sabar Institute highlights the severity in rural constituencies. The exercise led to the deletion of a very high percentage of female voters from rural assembly seats. This percentage exceeded 60% in many areas.
"Assembly seats where deletions of female voters were highest are Keshiary (65.6%), Suti (65.4%), Domkal (65.4%), Hariharpara (65.3%) and Mothabari (65.2%). On the other hand, urban assembly constituencies like Jorasanko (33.7%), Chowringhee (29%), Bhowanipore (36.7%), Kolkata Port (38%) and Shyampukur (39.6%) had the least number of female deletions," said Ashin Chakraborty of Sabar Institute. He conducted the study along with Souptik Halder and Sabir Ahamed.
Experts Point to Migration and Societal Norms
Chakraborty offered further insight into the patterns. "The Greater Kolkata area, the industrial belt of Asansol-Durgapur and urban centres like Hooghly, Kharagpur Sadar, Siliguri, and Dabgram-Phulbari show more male deletions, likely due to the presence of single male migrant workers. The rest of the state, however, has more female deletions. We are finding that ‘permanently shifted' was one of the biggest reasons for the deletion of a high number of female voters."
Political scientist and former Rabindra Bharati Vice-Chancellor Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury commented on the underlying social factors. "When women get married and move out to their in-laws' places, in most cases they either do not make necessary changes to the documents or forget them. Mostly in rural areas, women after marriage do not think to establish their own identity due to the patriarchal set-up of society."
He elaborated on this point. "Generally, in our society women are neglected, especially in rural areas, because of the idea that they are supposed to stay at home and do not require so many documents." This societal mindset appears to contribute directly to the administrative issue of voter deletion.
The publication of these draft rolls has sparked important conversations. It highlights the need for greater awareness and administrative outreach, particularly for women voters in rural West Bengal. Ensuring all eligible citizens remain on the electoral list is a fundamental democratic requirement.
