In a Jafrabad neighborhood within the Samserganj assembly segment, a residence equipped with several surveillance cameras on nearby streetlights draws attention, protected by a nearby state police outpost. This home belonged to Harogobindo Das and his son Chandan Das, who were fatally attacked by a crowd on April 11 of last year during unrest sparked by changes to the central government’s Waqf legislation in the region.
Roughly 20 kilometers distant, in Kasimnagar village of the Suti constituency, the relatives of Ejaz Ahmed—another victim of the same day’s violence in Murshidabad district—still mourn their loss. Ejaz died following reported police gunfire on demonstrators at the Sajurmore intersection along National Highway 12.
As the West Bengal assembly elections approach in just two weeks, Parul Das, Harogobindo’s widow, shared with The Indian Express: ‘We refused any aid from the Trinamool Congress administration, but the BJP provided support. We requested a permanent Border Security Force outpost here, which remains unrealized. There’s a local police station, but we lack confidence in it.’
In December, a court in Murshidabad sentenced 13 individuals to life for the murders of the father and son. Still, Parul noted, ‘We remain fearful. What protection do these cameras offer against another assault? We’ve installed a metal gate and bars to block intruders from forcing entry as they did last April. Central forces patrol occasionally, but they won’t stay indefinitely.’
Parul’s younger son, Soumitra, previously employed as a worker in Tamil Nadu, has come back to remain with his family.
Saima Bibi, Ejaz’s mother, explained that his widow, Salima, received employment from the state government under Mamata Banerjee, along with Rs 10 lakh in compensation. ‘Only TMC representatives assisted us initially. But now, visits have stopped. My daughter-in-law has moved to her parents’ place,’ she said.
In the border areas of Murshidabad and Malda, where Muslim populations predominate, the rivalry between TMC and the main opposition BJP often follows religious divides. For the forthcoming elections, a major issue is the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of voter lists, involving widespread removals, particularly through adjudication processes.
In Murshidabad, from an initial 57.6 lakh registered voters before the revision, approximately 2.78 lakh names were eliminated in the first two phases. An additional 4.55 lakh were removed during adjudication, according to Election Commission figures.
In Malda, starting from about 32 lakh voters, around 2 lakh were deleted in early stages, followed by 2.4 lakh more via adjudication, per the data.
The top 10 constituencies with the highest adjudication-based deletions are located in these two districts, including Samserganj, Suti, and others.
As parties assess the electoral impact, TMC expects this to strengthen its backing among Muslim communities. Conversely, BJP anticipates benefiting from increased division.
Although the revision process has concluded, it continues to affect the elections, with affected individuals lining up at local administrative offices in both districts to appeal decisions before tribunals that are not yet operational.
On April 1, demonstrations blocked sections of National Highway 12 in Malda. That same day, in the Mothabari constituency—also among the top 10—a group surrounded seven court officials at a local development office for hours, requiring police intervention at night. During the operation, stones were reportedly thrown at officers. The Supreme Court directed the National Investigation Agency to examine the event, leading to 35 arrests to date.
In the 2021 state elections, TMC secured 20 of Murshidabad’s 22 seats, while BJP took two. In the 2024 national polls, TMC claimed all three parliamentary seats there. A senior CPI(M) figure commented, ‘Given the voter deletions’ effects, it remains unclear if TMC can unify its minority supporters or if those votes will fragment.’
In Malda, TMC won 8 of 12 seats in 2021, with BJP gaining 4. However, in 2024, TMC failed to win either of the district’s Lok Sabha seats, which went to BJP and Congress.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a senior Congress leader and candidate from Baharampur, told The Express: ‘In 2024, TMC and BJP engaged in divisive tactics, causing my defeat in Baharampur. But voters are weary of such approaches now and are supporting us.’
The report also mentions a Congress MP from South, though details are incomplete.
