Around 346 people claiming to be descendants of former Bengal ruler Mir Jafar have been removed from the electoral rolls in Murshidabad, leaving them scrambling to prove their citizenship before tribunals, local residents said on Tuesday, Times of India reported.

The affected names, previously registered at booth number 121 at Lalbagh Nav Adarsh High School, were marked “under adjudication” during a recent special revision of voters’ lists and subsequently deleted, officials said.

Among those struck off is 82‑year‑old Syed Reza Ali Meerza, known locally as “Chhote Nawab,” whose name and those of nine family members, including his son who serves as a Trinamool councillor, were removed despite earlier assurances from election officials that their names would remain on the list.

Meerza, a 15th‑generation descendant of Mir Jafar, lives near Killa Nizamat in Lalbagh, a neighbourhood still home to many extended family members. He said their family’s Indian identity is unquestionable and pointed to past legal recognition of their lineage by India’s Supreme Court.

The family also highlighted historical claims, including asserting that one ancestor refused to become Pakistan’s president after Partition and helped keep Murshidabad within India.

While the family can appeal the deletions before electoral tribunals, they fear the process may not conclude before the first phase of polling on April 23, effectively disenfranchising them in this election.

Murshidabad’s district magistrate R Arjun said no formal complaints of widespread deletion have been received so far, but officials will guide those affected on how to approach the tribunal if complaints are filed.