In a startling development from West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, over 150 descendants of the Nawab of Bengal, Mir Jafar, have found their names missing from the Election Commission’s revised voter list. The list of excluded individuals includes Syed Muhammad Reza Ali Mirza, popularly known as ‘Chhote Nawab’, and his son, politician Syed Muhammad Fahim Ali Mirza, both residents of the historic ‘Kella Nizamat’ area.

The family expressed deep resentment, stating that despite attending hearings and submitting all necessary legal documents, their names were struck off the final electoral roll. They questioned the move, pointing out that while one family member, Iskander Ali Mirza, became the first President of Pakistan, the majority chose to stay in India in 1947 despite numerous allurements. The exclusion of such high-profile historical residents has sparked a debate over the rigor and transparency of the ongoing voter list revision process.