Kolkata: Amid the ongoing controversy over the implementation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Bengal, the state Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee is expected to leave Delhi on January 28.
Banerjee may lead a ‘dharna’ in front of the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters in Delhi to protest against “hasty” and “unplanned” implementation of the SIR in Bengal.
It was learnt from the sources that Banerjee will travel to the national capital after attending a public distribution programme in Singur on Wednesday.
Initially, Banerjee’s Delhi trip was expected to take place in the first week of February. As the period coincides with the ongoing Parliament Session, during which Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the Union Budget on February 1, Banerjee’s schedule has been changed.
After attending the government programme in Singur, Banerjee is expected to directly proceed to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, from where she will fly to Delhi.
It is also assumed that Banerjee’s sudden visit to the national capital may focus on building a broader Opposition consensus against the SIR.
Banerjee’s sudden visit to Delhi has generated considerable curiosity in political circles in the backdrop of SIR. Sources in Trinamool Congress claimed that the party supremo Banerjee may take representatives of families whose members have allegedly been declared “dead” during the SIR process to Delhi.
Banerjee’s move is being seen as an attempt to highlight the situation in Bengal at the national level and draw wider political attention to the issue ahead of the crucial 2026 Bengal Assembly elections.
The SIR exercise has already removed 58 lakh voters from the electoral rolls, and notices have been issued to around 1.5 crore voters under the ‘logical discrepancies’ and ‘unmapped’ categories, asking them to appear at hearing centres. Trinamool Congress supremo remains dissatisfied with the poll body as she did not receive any satisfactory reply despite writing several letters to the Chief Electoral Officer Gyanesh Kumar.
Sources also said that the programme schedules of Banerjee will be finalized after she lands in Delhi on Wednesday. Trinamool Congress MPs and other party leaders will join Banerjee’s protest rally.
Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee recently hinted that his party supremo would soon visit Delhi to highlight the situation in Bengal and the “harassment” of the voters in the name of implementation of SIR in the state. Abhishek led a party delegation to the ECI headquarter in Delhi to place several demands of the party related to SIR.
It is not, however, clear if Banerjee will seek an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during her stay in the national capital to discuss issues like the state’s dues. Incidentally, the Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the Budget in Parliament on February 1.
It was also learnt that, as the I-PAC related case may also be heard in the Supreme Court during this period, Mamata and Abhishek may hold a meeting with lawyers who are handling the case.
Meanwhile, Abhishek Banerjee is likely to fly to Delhi on Wednesday morning, the same day his party supremo will visit the National capital. Abhishek will join the Budget session in the Parliament.