Descendants of Mir Jafar removed from voter list in India

Over a hundred members of the Nawab family of Murshidabad, whose ancestors once ruled Bengal, Bihar and Odisha, have been removed from India's voter list following the latest Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by the Election Commission of India.

The affected individuals are descendants of Mir Jafar, who was the commander-in-chief of Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah during the Battle of Plassey in 1757 and later became Nawab of Bengal. The family claims 346 members have been removed from the list.

The names were previously registered at booth number 121 at Lalbagh Nav Adarsha High School in Murshidabad. They were regular voters until 2025, but during the recent revision, their names were first placed in a 'pending' list and later removed from the final roll.

Syed Reza Ali Mirza, 82, known as the 'Chhoto Nawab' and a family member, said his name and several others, including his son Syed Mohammad Fahim Mirza, a municipal councillor, have been removed.

Expressing anger, he said, "Despite submitting all documents during the hearing, our names were removed. It seems the entire family has been erased from the list."

Fahim Mirza said, "We have been on the voter list since 2002. I do not understand why our names have been suddenly removed."

The family claims there should be no question regarding their Indian citizenship. They said their ancestor Wasif Ali Mirza chose to stay in India instead of moving to Pakistan during partition. They also noted that they played a role in Murshidabad's inclusion in India after independence.

They also claim the Supreme Court has previously recognised their lineage.

The 15th-generation descendants of Mir Jafar currently reside in the Killa Nizamat area of Lalbagh. Syed Reza Ali Mirza said, "Once our ancestors ruled over their subjects, and now we have to prove our citizenship."

Polling in Murshidabad is scheduled for April 23. Although there is scope to appeal to the tribunal, they fear they will not be able to vote in this election due to delays in legal proceedings.

Murshidabad District Magistrate Rajarshi Arjun said no formal complaint has been received from the Nawab family. He said necessary assistance would be provided to file an appeal with the tribunal if a complaint is received.