Abhishek calls for a 15–0 sweep in Midnapore

Kolkata: With an eye on the upcoming Assembly elections, Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday called upon workers to ensure a clean sweep in Midnapore, setting a target of “15–0” in favour of the ruling party, while launching a scathing attack on the BJP and the Election Commission over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Addressing the Rana Sankalp Sabha at Midnapore College Ground, on Friday, Banerjee said Midnapore had historically played a decisive role in Trinamool’s victories in 2011, 2016 and 2021, and urged cadres to uproot what he described as “the remaining nexus of CPI(M) goons sheltered under the BJP”.

He asserted that the coming election was not just about electoral victory but about safeguarding democratic rights.

Placing SIR at the centre of his address, Banerjee alleged that the exercise was being deliberately misused to delete the names of genuine voters at the behest of the Centre. He claimed that living voters were being marked as dead and targeted for exclusion, particularly in Trinamool strongholds. “This is a conspiracy to choose voters instead of allowing voters to choose their government,” he said.

To underline his charge, Banerjee presented individuals at the rally who, he claimed, had been officially recorded as deceased despite being alive. He announced that TMC workers would remain present outside the offices of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant EROs until January 19, the extended deadline for submission of SIR forms.

The Trinamool leader accused BJP leaders of attempting to submit forms in bulk, allegedly violating norms that limit submissions to 10 forms per individual. He urged party workers to resist such attempts legally and peacefully, while also helping elderly and vulnerable voters complete documentation. Linking the issue to broader political discrimination, Banerjee alleged that Bengalis were being harassed in BJP-ruled states and branded as outsiders. He concluded by asserting that the election would be a democratic protest against such practices and reiterated his call for a decisive mandate in Midnapore.