TMC plans rally in Nov; Mamata and Abhishek likely to address

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) is set to launch a massive campaign against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Kolkata in the first week of November. Party supremo Mamata Banerjee and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee are expected to attend the rally.

The main purpose behind organising a maga rally by the ruling party is to ensure that the names of legitimate voters are not deleted in the name of the implementation of SIR.

“A massive rally is being planned in November. Both Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek are expected to address the rally in Kolkata. The venue is likely to be decided soon,” sources within the party said.

It was learnt that there are plans to hold the rally on November 2. There are alternative plans as well. In that case, the programme may happen on November 11 or 12. The venue may be fixed near the Sahid Minar. However, it has not been finalised yet. Addressing the state secretariat earlier this month, Chief Minister Banerjee had alleged that the SIR was a ploy to implement the NRC through the backdoor. There were speculations that the ECI may begin SIR of the electoral rolls in October ahead of next year’s state elections. The ECI in September held training sessions for district-level election officers in Bengal.

A team of ECI officials led by deputy election commissioner Gyanesh Bharti already visited Bengal and held meetings to take stock of the preparations ahead of the possible rollout.

There will be repercussions in the state if names of genuine voters are deleted during the electoral roll revision, CM Mamata Banerjee had warned earlier. She had stated: “Four (ECI) officials, in the name of a field survey, are threatening booth-level officers and asking them to prepare documents.

It (SIR) could be launched in Bihar because there is a double-engine BJP government. But Bengal is different.”