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West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee warns she will sit on dharna if even one eligible voter is removed amid SIR of electoral rolls. Is the revision politically motivated ahead of 2026 polls, and what’s at stake for voters in the state?
Mamata Banerjee raises alarm on voter deletion in West Bengal
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday issued a stern warning over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, saying she will sit on a dharna if even a single eligible voter’s name is struck off.
Addressing a public rally in Krishnanagar, she alleged that the SIR exercise is being used as a political tool to benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2026 assembly elections.
Mamata Banerjee claimed she herself has not yet filled out her enumeration form for the SIR and raised concerns over the process. “Do I need to prove my citizenship to a party of rioters?” she asked, referring to what she described as politically motivated scrutiny by central authorities.
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The CM also accused the Union Home Minister Amit Shah of being “dangerous,” claiming the political intentions behind the SIR are visible in his actions. She reiterated that West Bengal will not allow detention camps and warned that the SIR is being conducted too close to the elections due to the BJP’s “hunger for votes.”
Banerjee alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has been sending officials from Delhi with BJP leanings to supervise district magistrates during the SIR process. She emphasized that her party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), has long opposed such moves, arguing that the roll revision unfairly targets opposition strongholds.
The SIR, initially launched after Bihar’s electoral roll revision in October, is currently being carried out across 12 states and Union Territories, including West Bengal. The state assembly elections are scheduled in the first half of 2026, making the timing of the SIR particularly sensitive.
UP extends SIR deadline to December 25 for voter verification; Details inside
In a related development, the ECI has revised the timeline for the SIR in West Bengal, pushing the final publication date to February 14, 2026. The extension aims to accommodate large-scale enumeration work and ensure proper verification and rationalization of polling stations across the state.
Banerjee’s statements highlight growing tension between the state government and the ECI, as political parties gear up for the upcoming assembly polls. The CM’s threat of a dharna signals a potential standoff if voters are removed from the rolls, underlining the high stakes surrounding electoral preparedness in West Bengal.
