BJP trying to add voters from outside to Bengal electoral rolls illegally: Mamata

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, from an election rally in West Midnapore’s Chandrakona, accused the BJP of attempting to influence elections by allegedly adding “illegal voters” from other states to the electoral rolls in Bengal. She alleged that the BJP, in collusion with the poll body, was “snatching away” the constitutional rights of the people in Bengal.

She alleged that people from states such as Bihar, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh were being brought into the state to alter the voter base to provide political mileage to the BJP. Banerjee claimed that it was a part of a larger strategy to influence election results. She also held two rallies, one each at Garbeta and Bishnupur.

“The BJP is trying to include illegal voters from other states and transport them using railways, as was done in Bihar,” Banerjee alleged, accusing the party of showing “no respect” for Bengal and its people. She warned her party workers and supporters to remain vigilant so that any such attempts can be foiled ahead of the crucial assembly polls.

Banerjee also alleged that BJP in collusion with the Election Commission of India (ECI) was trying to delete names of women and minority voters in the state under the ongoing voter verification exercise. Women and minority voters are being targeted only because they are considered as the potential vote banks of the ruling party.

“They are snatching away citizenship, constitutional and democratic rights. We will fight this at every step,” she added. She claimed that her party leader, Abhishek Banerjee, had rushed to the office of the CEO in Kolkata after reports that nearly 30,000 applications for new voters were submitted in a single day.

“On Monday, Abhishek told me that 30,000 form 6 fresh applications were submitted to the CEO’s office. I was taken aback to hear what Abhishek had said. Names of around 18 lakh people out of 60 lakh who were under adjudications have been deleted. Some more may also be deleted,” she said.

“As long as they are alive, the women voters will be able to avail of the ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ scheme. It has nothing to do with religion and the castes one belongs to,” she added.

“BJP will not get a single vote because the people of Bengal know how the BJP implemented this trick in Bihar, Maharashtra and Delhi and got away with it because the Opposition there failed to understand the ploy,” the TMC supremo said.

She later took to X and stated: “While over 60 lakh genuine voters remain under adjudication and more than 200 lives have already been lost due to the flawed SIR process, the ECI is now suspiciously rushing to entertain these bulk fraudulent applications behind closed doors”.

“This is not only illegal and against the orders of the Supreme Court, but a direct assault on free and fair elections in Bengal,” Banerjee added. Banerjee also gave a message to the potato cultivators. “Some potato cultivators are under stress. Don’t worry, we have started crop insurance for potato farmers as well. If any potato farmers lose crops, they will get insurance coverage,” she said. Slamming Prime Minister Modi and Union Home minister Amit Shah, Banerjee said: “I have never seen autocratic leaders like Modi and Shah. They don’t know how to respect people. They have so much anger over Bengal and its people. People will not understand how dangerous they are. They target Bengal.”

If voted to power, the BJP could impose restrictions on the dietary habits of Bengalis and attempt to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state through indirect means, alleged Banerjee once again. New names are being added to states from Bihar, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, she added.

During her address, Banerjee urged voters to focus on her leadership rather than on individual candidates contesting from different constituencies. She appealed to the electorate to consider her as the representative across all 294 Assembly seats in the state.

TMC also posted some videos on its social media handle, where it was seen that people were taking bags full of forms to the CEO’s office. A senior official at the CEO’s office, however, defended the large-scale submission of Form 6 applications and said that one can step into the commission’s office and submit many forms, and there is no harm in it. The Commission will verify all of them.

The forms submitted till March 27 for the enlistment of new voters will be examined, and if verified, they will be able to vote in the first phase. Those forms submitted till March 30 can also cast their votes in the second phase if verified, added the official.