Kolkata, Oct 31 (PTI) The TMC on Friday warned of legal action and a mass movement if names of genuine voters are found deleted during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in West Bengal.
Addressing a closed-door virtual meeting attended by nearly 15,000 party functionaries from across the state, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee accused the BJP of using the process to “silently rig” the upcoming elections.
He said the SIR, announced on October 27, was being carried out at the behest of the BJP to manipulate the voter list ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.
“As you all know, the SIR was announced on October 27 in Bengal on BJP’s instructions. After the voter rolls revision was announced in Bihar, we had said it stands for Silent Invisible Rigging. The TMC has protested in Parliament, in court, and on streets and we will continue to do so,” Banerjee was quoted as saying by TMC sources who attended the meeting.
Issuing a stern warning earlier this week, Banerjee had said, “If the name of a single eligible voter is eliminated from the voter list, then one lakh people from Bengal will hold dharna outside the EC office in New Delhi.” Friday’s meeting, convened by Banerjee and addressed also by state president Subrata Bakshi, was aimed at chalking out the party’s strategy for monitoring the voter list revision.
The invitees included TMC functionaries engaged in organisational work at district, block and booth levels, with the meeting held behind closed doors to ensure candid internal discussions, party insiders said.
Banerjee alleged that an “environment of fear” had been created across the state due to the revision process, which involves door-to-door verification and revalidation of voter names.
“If genuine voters’ names are deleted, we will not remain silent. We will draw the attention of the court and also launch a major movement in Delhi to ensure justice,” he was quoted as saying by leaders present at the meeting.
TMC sources said Banerjee directed all leaders to remain alert, claiming that “thousands of genuine voters’ names” were found missing in several areas, particularly in North 24 Parganas, Nadia and Cooch Behar districts.
“In connection with the voter list anomalies that we exposed during Wednesday’s press conference, Banerjee said we would draw the court’s attention too. This is not just a political issue but a democratic one,” a senior TMC functionary told PTI.
Banerjee also raised concerns over recent deaths allegedly linked to panic over voter list exclusions.
“An environment of fear has been created due to this exercise. People are scared that their names might go missing, and that’s unacceptable in a democracy,” he reportedly said.
To assist citizens, Banerjee announced the setting up of anchal-wise help desks across West Bengal from November 4 to December 4. These desks will help people verify their voter details, submit claims and objections, and report irregularities during the revision.
“TMC will stand beside every eligible voter whose name has been unfairly deleted or withheld,” Banerjee asserted, calling upon district and block-level teams to remain proactive and report any instance of voter suppression to the state leadership.
The Trinamool Congress has been on the offensive since the Election Commission announced the SIR process in Bengal, which aims to update the voters’ list ahead of its final publication in January 2026.
The party has alleged that the exercise is being misused under political pressure to exclude specific communities and opposition supporters.
While the BJP has dismissed the allegations as “baseless and politically motivated,” the TMC has described the revision as “a larger plot to disenfranchise minorities, Matuas, and poor voters.” PTI PNT MNB
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.