The Census exercise in West Bengal will begin on August 1 this year and continue till the end of February 2027, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced during a special meeting at state secretariat. Nabanna, on Thursday. Stressing the significance of the exercise, CM Adhikari highlighted that it is not a part of the political scheme but an attempt to complete the what has been pending for long.
According to the Chief Minister, the Centre has communicated the timeline for the Census process, which will be conducted in two phases across the state. Banerjee alleged that the BJP was trying to create fear among minorities and economically weaker sections through what she described as “selective scrutiny” of voter identities in different parts of the country.
“The census in Bengal will begin from August 1 and continue until February in 2027. However, it has no connection with politics. The rest of the country is far ahead of Bengal since the Census process has been delayed for long enough. We are lagging behind,” CM Suvendu Adhikari stated.
The CM, however, welcomed the Census schedule and reiterated the BJP’s demand for a “transparent and updated” population database in the state. Citing demography change due to alleged infiltration, Adhikari claimed that accurate data is essential for governance, welfare distribution and national security.
"We have a 600-kilometre-long unfenced border with Bangladesh,” he said accusing his predecessor of stalling land hand-over process for fencing. “As the previous state government did not hand over land to BSF, fencing could not be done, which led to infiltration and a change in the demographic composition in parts of West Bengal," he said.
The Census, originally scheduled for 2021, had been postponed indefinitely due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The upcoming exercise is expected to include digital data collection and updated demographic mapping. Officials said preparatory work, including training of enumerators and logistical arrangements, would begin shortly.
The Census announcement could have significant electoral implications in West Bengal, where debates over citizenship, migration and voter identity have remained politically sensitive since the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens debates in neighbouring Assam.
