Mamata to stage sit-in protest on March 6

Kolkata: After submitting multiple letters to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), deputing several party delegations to the CEO’s office, and personally moving the Supreme Court of India over the “unplanned SIR” process, Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee will now stage a sit-in protest at Metro Channel on March 6, informed party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee addressing the media on Sunday.

The demonstration is aimed at “protecting the democratic rights” of voters whose names were either deleted or kept under adjudication in the final electoral roll published on February 28.

Alleging large-scale irregularities in the SIR of electoral rolls, party Abhishek Banerjee said the revision process was manipulated to meet a “pre-fixed political target”.

The final list shows that 63.66 lakh names have been deleted, while over 60 lakh voters have been kept “under adjudication,” casting uncertainty over their participation in the upcoming Assembly polls.

Banerjee claimed that senior BJP leaders, including Union Home minister Amit Shah, had earlier stated that around 1.2 crore names would be removed from Bengal’s rolls.

“First 58 lakhs were deleted in the draft list. Then around 5.5 lakh more through Form 7. Add to that 60 lakh under adjudication — the figure comes close to 1.24 crore. The target was announced in advance,” he alleged. Banerjee also stated that he received 243 calls through the party outreach platform “Ek Daake Abhishek” from individuals stating that their names were marked as “deceased” despite being alive. “On the first day itself, I received 243 such calls. The number will only increase,” he said.

Citing specific Assembly segments, Banerjee alleged that voters were disproportionately placed under adjudication in constituencies where the BJP had fared poorly in 2021, calling it a form of “political vendetta”.

“In Malda’s Sujapur Assembly Constituency, the BJP secured barely 18,000 votes in 2021. Today, nearly 1.34 lakh voters — close to 90% of the electorate — are under adjudication. In Ratua, where BJP got around 57,000 votes, over 1.04 lakh voters are under adjudication. In Malatipur, BJP polled 36,156 votes; now 94,737 voters are under scrutiny. In Harishchandrapur, BJP secured 49,000 votes; 91,000 are under adjudication. In Mothabari, BJP got about 43,000 votes; nearly 80,000 voters face uncertainty,” he said.

He extended the argument to Murshidabad. “In Raghunathganj, BJP got 27,000 votes; 1.15 lakh voters are under adjudication. In Bhagwangola, BJP secured 18,490 votes; 1.10 lakh voters are under adjudication. Similar patterns are visible in Samsherganj, Suti and Lalgola,” he alleged.

According to Banerjee, in an average Assembly Constituency with about 2 lakh voters and 80 per cent polling, roughly 1.6 lakh votes are cast. “If 1.5 lakh voters are placed under adjudication, how can the election be free and fair?” he questioned.

Banerjee also raised questions over figures relating to Form 6 (inclusion of new voters) and Form 7 (objections seeking deletion). He said that on January 19 and 20, the CEO’s bulletin recorded around 6.33 lakh Form 6 applications. However, the final data shows only 1,82,036 additions.

“Where did the remaining applications go?” he asked. Similarly, he pointed out that the January 19 bulletin mentioned around 41,000 Form 7 submissions, while the final data indicates over 5.46 lakh deletions through Form 7. “How did these additional five lakh forms surface? This is our first question,” he said, alleging manipulation of nearly nine lakh votes when combining deletions and rejected applications.

The Trinamool leader further alleged that the deadline for Form 7 submissions was extended after the BJP failed to submit forms in bulk, thereby giving the party an undue advantage.

Banerjee cited instances of prominent personalities whose names have been placed under adjudication. Indian cricketer Richa Ghosh, a World Cup–winning member of the national team, has reportedly been categorised under adjudication. “Is the World Cup trophy also under adjudication?” Banerjee remarked.

State minister Shashi Panja has also found her name under adjudication. Similar issues have reportedly affected other elected representatives and administrative officials, raising concerns over the accuracy of the process.

The TMC leader alleged that the Election Commission failed to adhere to Supreme Court guidelines and acted under political pressure. He argued that the sudden jump from 14 lakh pending cases to 60 lakh under adjudication defies logic. “Who decided which names would be shifted? Under whose pressure?” he asked.

TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, who personally appeared before the Supreme Court during the legal challenge over SIR, has decided to launch the protest to demand transparency and timely redressal of pending cases. Party sources said further programmes may be announced from the sit-in venue.

“We are not against SIR; we are against haste and manipulation,” Banerjee said, alleging that a process meant for two months was extended to four, yet remains incomplete. He asserted that judicial officers, not ECI officials, are the final authority in adjudicating pending cases.

With over 60 lakh voters awaiting decisions and the Assembly polls approaching, the sit-in is expected to intensify the political confrontation over the electoral roll revision in West Bengal.