Abhishek forms 10-MP team to brief CEC on ‘unplanned’ SIR

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, during a virtual meeting with the party leaders, formed a team comprising of 10 MPs that would meet the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi and submit a detailed account of the difficulties faced by the citizens due to “unplanned” implementation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

According to party sources, Banerjee also instructed the team of MPs to submit the videos featuring the statements of the family members of those who died in Bengal due to the “hasty” implementation of SIR.

The Diamond Harbour MP has also directed the MPs to seek an appointment with the CEC. The MPs who are a part of the team include Sougata Roy, Sudip Bandopadhyay, Kalyan Bandopadhyay, Derek O’Brien, Shatabdi Roy, Dola Sen, Mahua Moitra, Sajda Ahmed, Mamatabala Thakur, and Saket Gokhale.

Addressing over 25,000 party leaders and workers over virtual mode, Banerjee referred to the recently-concluded Bihar elections and insisted that the TMC should not repeat the mistakes committed by the Opposition parties in the neighbouring state.

Banerjee, during the virtual meeting, chalked out an elaborate plan on how to carry out an anti-SIR rally. He stated during the meeting that the “hasty” and “unplanned” implementation of SIR is affecting the people.

“The society at large is being affected,” he said, and once again pointed out that the family members of those who died allegedly because of SIR-related fear have held the Election Commission of India (ECI) responsible for the deaths of the victims.

The party MPs will present to the CEC as to what inconveniences the people have been facing, as the entire process will be hastily completed within two months. Why FIR would not be lodged against the ECI, Banerjee has raised during the meeting, sources said.

He has warned the party leaders that no lapses would be tolerated when it comes to SIR.

He asked the MLAs to be there in their constituencies. It was also learnt that Banerjee has directed to operate SIR-related war rooms in various districts from November 26 to December 4.

Several Trinamool Congress leaders have been assigned to monitor the war room. One of the main objectives is to help people amid the current situation.

“Submission of enumeration forms should be our bird’s eye focus,” a source quoted Banerjee as saying in the meeting.

“Not 99 per cent. We must ensure 100 per cent submission of enumeration forms. Our war rooms should remain on high alert. Our MLAs should lead the charges on this extremely important factor of the upcoming polls,” Banerjee said while stating that the party would extend its ongoing ‘Vote Suraksha’ camps till January 31, next year.

Expressing concern over the “low percentage” of distribution and submission of enumeration forms in North and South Kolkata, Banerjee is learnt to have said that separate reviews would be held for the city over the next nine days to ensure 100 per cent coverage.

Senior party leader Aroop Biswas will look after the districts like Hooghly, East Burdwan, and West Burdwan, while Snehasish Chakraborty will take care of Hooghly and Nadia. Manas Bhunia has been assigned to two districts, Bankura and Purulia.

Moloy Ghatak will look after West Midnapore, and Becharam Manna will take care of East Midnapore. Sujit Bose will manage the district of North 24-Parganas, while Firhad Hakim will take care of Kolkata. A total of 14 leaders have been roped in for managing the war rooms.