kolkata

IIE DIGITAL DESK : Kolkata is set to witness another major political showdown as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that she will stage a dharna on March 6 at Metro Channel in Dharmatala, protesting against the alleged large-scale deletion of names from the final SIR voter list. The announcement was made by Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee during a press conference on Sunday, where he launched a fierce attack on the Election Commission, accusing it of acting with bias and under political pressure.

The controversy centres around the Special Intensive Revision process, which began in the state on October 27 last year. Since its inception, the ruling Trinamool Congress has repeatedly expressed apprehension that genuine voters were being deliberately targeted and removed from the rolls. According to party leaders, nearly 64 lakh names have been excluded from the final list, a move they describe as an attempt to create fear and confusion in poll-bound Bengal. Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee had earlier warned that even the deletion of a single legitimate voter’s name would spark a movement, and the latest development appears to have triggered exactly that response.

The issue has not remained confined to Kolkata. The Trinamool leadership had taken their protest to New Delhi, sending multiple letters and eventually meeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to raise concerns about the SIR process. Mamata Banerjee even appeared before the Supreme Court to highlight what she termed the “suffering” of ordinary citizens due to the revision exercise. Following the publication of the final SIR list, she had hinted at launching a larger agitation if corrective steps were not taken.

Abhishek Banerjee alleged that the massive deletion was driven by targets set by the Bharatiya Janata Party, claiming that the scale of exclusions could impact multiple Assembly constituencies. He argued that if such a significant number of names remain in the adjudication list, any election conducted under these circumstances would leave numerous disputes unresolved. In a sharp warning directed at the Chief Election Commissioner, Abhishek said he was prepared to face legal action and challenged the Commission to file a case against him, asserting that he would use the opportunity to expose what he described as irregularities in the adjudication process.

He further claimed that those responsible for approving the deletions would themselves face judicial scrutiny within months. At the same time, he advised party workers whose names have been struck off to submit Form 6 applications to restore their voter status, signalling that the party would combine street protests with procedural remedies.

The March 6 dharna at Metro Channel is expected to draw significant participation from Trinamool leaders and supporters. Political observers note that with elections approaching, the voter list controversy has become a flashpoint in West Bengal’s charged atmosphere. The ruling party maintains that safeguarding the democratic rights of citizens is its primary objective, while the Election Commission has yet to respond in detail to the latest accusations.

The confrontation between the state’s ruling party and the constitutional authority overseeing elections appears set to intensify, adding another dramatic chapter to Bengal’s turbulent political narrative.