Two persons have died by suicide in West Bengal over the past 24 hours, allegedly from the “mental stress” following the publication of the voters’ list post the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state on February 28.
The deaths have led to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) hitting out at the Election Commission and the BJP for causing “unnecessary trouble” to people by carrying out the SIR exercise in the state and deleting over 60 lakh names from the voters’ list ahead of the Assembly elections in the state.
Rafiq Ali Gazi, 44, a cart-seller, was found hanging at his Ghola Nyapara residence in the Usti area of South 24 Parganas district on Tuesday night by his family members, said police, which have registered a case of unnatural death.
Gazi’s family has said that the 44-year-old was under stress after he found his name was not in the voters’ list released by the Election Commission on February 28, and instead it was put under the ‘adjudication’ category.
There are over 60 lakh names in the adjudication category in West Bengal. The cases are currently being looked into by judicial officials.
“He (Gazi) was initially asked to submit his papers (by the Election Commission),” his wife, Amina Bibi, said, referring to the notices sent to people by the EC after the first phase of the SIR in the state.
“When he had received the notice, he fell on his feet. He filled the forms properly and submitted them. When the voter list came out, he found that there was ‘under scrutiny’ stamp marked next to his name in the list. Since then, he has been suffering from anxiety, fearing that he will lose voting rights and facing administrative complications. So, he killed himself,” his wife said.
“This should not happen with anyone. The government should ensure that all paper works are correct,” she added.
The family has filed a complaint against the Election Commission and the State Chief Electoral Officer at Usti police station.
Police sources said an investigation is underway, and no final conclusion could be drawn until the post-mortem report is received.
In another incident, Gouranga De (62), a momo seller at Jalpaiguri town, was also found hanging in the washroom of his residence on Tuesday morning, police said. De’s wife claimed that he was extremely anxious after his name featured in the ‘deleted’ category in the final list published on February 28.
“His name was not there in the 2002 voter list, but he had submitted all the required documents during the SIR process, and attended the hearing (to get his name included in the revised voter list),” PTI quoted De’s wife as saying.
Referring to the two deaths, the TMC hit out at the BJP and the EC.
“The ruthless BJP-ECI nexus is relentlessly targeting and muting the voices of Bengal’s poor and the marginalised communities… Bengal will not forget this tragedy. We will continue the fight on every front until every stolen vote is restored and every life lost is honoured with justice,” the TMC posted on X.
In yet another devastating incident, a hardworking van-puller from Usthi, Magrahat ended his life in despair upon learning that his name had been placed under “adjudication” in the final SIR voter list. A man who toiled daily to survive has been robbed of his basic democratic… pic.twitter.com/1l1zSg7hEw
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) March 4, 2026
TMC leaders and workers at Magrahat West Assembly constituency, where Gazi was a voter, took to the streets with his body, demanding justice for the family.
“The Election Commission has placed many eligible voters under the ‘under scrutiny’ list on the BJP’s behest. Rafiq Gazi was shattered because of this. He died due to the fear created by the SIR process. We demand a thorough investigation and appropriate action against the Election Commission,” Youth Trinamool president Imran Khan said.
The BJP, however, accused the TMC of misleading people by linking Gazi’s death with the SIR process.
“TMC is looking out for the dead like vultures. We condemn such actions,” senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha said.
BJP leader Sufal Khatu said, “The incident is extremely unfortunate. However, before the investigation is complete, the TMC is weaving stories around the SIR for political gain. If the administration conducts a neutral probe, the truth will come out.”
The TMC had earlier claimed that over 110 deaths occurred due to “SIR stress” in the state since November.