In the Farakka constituency of West Bengal, a noteworthy case emerged concerning the Special Intensive Revision and the assembly elections. Congress candidate Motab Shaikh had his name removed from the electoral rolls during the SIR process but successfully fought to restore his voting rights, ultimately winning the constituency.
Shaikh triumphed over BJP’s Sunil Chowdhuri by 8,193 votes, garnering a total of 63,050 votes compared to Chowdhuri’s 54,857. Trinamool Congress candidate Amirul Islam finished third, receiving 47,256 votes. This victory marks a significant turnaround for the Congress party, which had previously failed to secure any seats in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections.
Initially, Shaikh’s name was absent from the electoral rolls following the SIR exercise. He contested the removal before an appellate tribunal established under the Supreme Court’s orders, which were designed to address such cases. The tribunal reinstated his voting rights shortly before the nomination deadline, enabling him to participate in the election.
Calcutta High Court advocate Firdous Samim represented Shaikh in Bichar Bhawan and provided the necessary documentation that led to the restoration of his name on the electoral rolls. Referring to the Supreme Court’s order dated September 8, 2025, former Justice T.S. Sivagnanam noted that an Aadhaar card can be accepted as a supporting document for identity verification, although it does not constitute proof of citizenship.
In addition to Shaikh’s victory, Congress also achieved success in the neighboring Raninagar constituency, where candidate Julfikar Ali defeated Trinamool’s Soumik Hossain by 2,701 votes. This development signals a modest yet symbolically significant revival for the Congress party in West Bengal.
