Maharashtra BJP leader’s name in Bengal voter list, gets SIR notice

A routine scrutiny of electoral rolls has set off political ripples in West Bengal’s Birbhum district after the name of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Maharashtra surfaced on the voter list of Dubrajpur Municipality, triggering sharp exchanges between rival parties.

District officials confirmed on Sunday that Ujjwala Burungle, a BJP district council candidate from Maharashtra, has been issued a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearing notice after her name was обнаружed on the voter list for Ward No. 12 of Dubrajpur Municipality. The development immediately heightened political tension in the area.

Burungle, who hails from Nashik in Maharashtra, is already enrolled as a voter there and had contested the 2026 district council elections as a BJP candidate. However, her name has now appeared on West Bengal’s 2025 electoral rolls, raising questions over duplicate registration.

According to officials, Burungle reportedly submitted an enumeration form during the ongoing SIR exercise, following which discrepancies in her voter details were flagged, leading to the issuance of a hearing notice. Her name currently figures in Ward No. 12 of Dubrajpur Municipality in Birbhum district.

The episode has been seized upon by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), which alleged that the incident lends weight to its long-standing charge of fake names being added to the voter list in West Bengal ahead of the Assembly elections. Party leaders accused the BJP of attempting to tilt the electoral balance by enrolling voters from outside the state.

“This is clear proof that the BJP wants to incorporate illegal voters in West Bengal’s electoral rolls,” a local Trinamool leader said, adding that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has repeatedly warned of such practices. “We will approach the Election Commission and demand a thorough probe.”

The BJP, however, rejected the allegations and called for an impartial investigation. Anup Saha, the BJP MLA from the Dubrajpur assembly constituency, said the Election Commission would examine the matter. “How her name came to be registered in two places will be investigated. We too will request the poll panel to look into the issue,” he said.

Further details emerged suggesting that Burungle is originally from Solapur in Maharashtra. Her husband, Appa Shankar Burungle, reportedly moved to Dubrajpur around 17 years ago for gold business, a connection that, officials said, may have led to her name being entered into West Bengal’s electoral rolls.

As the SIR exercise continues across the state, the incident has added fresh fuel to the already charged debate over the integrity of voter lists, with the Election Commission now expected to examine the matter closely.

With IANS inputs