Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of acting in tandem with the BJP to delete genuine voters from the rolls ahead of the Assembly elections, alleging that around 60,000 names were being struck off in the Bhowanipore Assembly constituency during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Addressing a Dol Yatra and Holi programme at Netaji Indoor Stadium, Banerjee said she was “shocked” at what she described as “inhuman and vindictive work.” “Bhowanipore is a small Constituency, and from my Constituency alone, 60,000 voters’ names have been deleted. Even then, I will win from Bhowanipore, even if it is by one vote,” she said.
Election Commission figures show Bhowanipore has recorded a net drop in voters. The draft roll published on December 16 listed 1,61,525 voters. As of February 28, the number stands at 1,59,201. While 45,000 voters were deleted, 14,514 are under adjudication.
Lashing out at the poll body and the BJP, Banerjee alleged that nearly 1.2 crore people in West Bengal were being deprived of voting rights. She claimed 58 lakh names had been deleted without verification and said “micro-observers acting as BJP officers” were responsible, while some Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were being unfairly blamed.
According to post-SIR data, 63.66 lakh names — around 8.3 per cent of the electorate — have been deleted, reducing the total voter strength to just over 7.04 crore. Another 60.06 lakh voters are under adjudication and will be verified in the coming weeks.
Referring to the BJP’s ‘Parivartan Yatra’ launched on March 1, Banerjee said: “From the BJP’s Delhi office, names are being deleted, and here they are carrying out a Rath Yatra. This will be your last Rath Yatra; it will become a journey of destruction.”
She further alleged that the Centre was using agencies like the CBI and ED, along with constitutional bodies such as the Election Commission, to suppress the Opposition.
On a separate note, Banerjee announced the allotment of five acres near Biswa Bangla Gate in New Town for a Jain temple at a concessional rate. She also virtually inaugurated the Kalyani Expressway and handed over appointment letters for Home Guard jobs to the next of kin of 36 people who allegedly died amid fears surrounding the SIR process.