India Voter Roll Purge Sparks Protests Before Key State Election
Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata, on April 8.
Photographer: Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP/Getty ImagesMore than nine million people have been struck off the voter rolls in an eastern Indian state governed by a regional rival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, triggering protests and allegations of electoral malpractice days before the voting begins.
The Election Commission of India put out district-wise details of eligible voters in West Bengal last week that showed the proportion of removal of electors at around 11.85%, according to the Press Trust of India. Voting for West Bengal state assembly is scheduled in two phases starting April 23, with results due on May 4.