Malda/Raiganj/Balurghat: Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee is set to begin a two-day tour of South Dinajpur, North Dinajpur and Malda from January 7, with the party stepping up organisational and security preparations across the region.
Banerjee will begin his visit on Wednesday morning at Kumarganj in South Dinajpur and later travel to Balurghat, where he is scheduled to meet people affected by the SIR process. According to party sources, he will interact with around 500 individuals whose names were flagged during SIR hearings. TMC leaders said that the outreach aims to address the grievances of voters who claim to be genuine Indian citizens but are facing exclusion or repeated verification under the revision process.
Balurghat Town TMC president Subhas Chaki said the visit goes beyond routine political programmes. “Abhishek Banerjee wants to engage personally with those who feel marginalised or deprived of their democratic rights. He is also concerned about the psychological distress being faced by genuine voters due to the SIR exercise,” Chaki said.
The visit comes in the backdrop of the November 10, 2025, death of Osman Mondal of Kumarganj, whose family alleged that discrepancies in identity documents and resulting mental pressure forced him to take the extreme step.
From Kumarganj, Banerjee will travel by helicopter to Itahar in North Dinajpur, where a massive turnout
is expected. He is scheduled to land at the Itahar High School ground, lead a road show from the Itahar Polytechnic Institute ground through the town, and later address a public gathering.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made, with a large police contingent deployed to ensure the programme passes off peacefully.
North Dinajpur district TMC president Kanaiyalal Agarwal said meetings have been held with the party’s student, youth, women and workers’ wings to ensure large participation. Party leaders said Banerjee is likely to raise issues related to the SIR process and alleged harassment of migrant workers from West Bengal in BJP-ruled states.
Later on Wednesday evening, Banerjee will proceed to Malda, where he will stay overnight ahead of the party’s major rally on January 8. Preparations in Malda have intensified, with the TMC focusing on the problems faced by migrant workers, employment concerns and alleged administrative lapses.
The rally will be held at the Jalanga MSK ground along National Highway 12 in Old Malda. District TMC president Abdur Rahim Boxi said all organisational blocks have been directed to ensure strong participation.
“Each block has been asked to bring at least 300 migrant workers. If someone is working outside the state, a family member will attend,” he said, adding that families of migrant workers who died while working in other states would also be invited.