The process of removing ‘Kakdwip voter’ Newton Das from the electoral roll has commenced, confirmed sources in the office of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer on Sunday. The decision follows a probe into allegations linking Das, a registered voter in the Kakdwip Assembly constituency, to protests in Bangladesh as a voter there, raising questions about his nationality.
A relative of Das also claimed that he has voter cards of both India and Bangladesh.
Das, 32, has been at the centre of a political storm after images surfaced showing him participating in the student-led agitation in Dhaka in July 2024, which ultimately led to the downfall of the Sheikh Hasina government. These images depict Das wielding a stick and waving a flag during the protests, prompting the Opposition BJP in West Bengal to question how an individual actively involved in a political movement in Bangladesh could simultaneously hold voting rights in India.
Electoral records indicate that Das has been a voter in Kakdwip, which falls under the Mathurapur Lok Sabha constituency, since 2014. He has reportedly claimed to have exercised his franchise in the 2016 Assembly elections.
The CEO had previously directed the district electoral officer of the South 24 Parganas to investigate and report on Das’s alleged dual nationality.
This development comes as West Bengal prepares for high-stakes Assembly elections next year.
