The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of opposing the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls because her “political survival” depends on “shielding a fraudulent voter base”. The attack came hours after Banerjee wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging the SIR exercise was being carried out in an “unplanned and coercive” manner.
Banerjee said the revision had reached an “alarming” and “dangerous” stage and demanded immediate corrective measures to protect citizens and officials.
Reacting sharply, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari described Banerjee’s letter as “signs of desperation”.
He posted on X, “Mamata Banerjee writing a letter to the Election Commission on halting the SIR exercise is nothing short of an admission that the TMC’s top leadership is rattled… For years, TMC quietly benefited from illegal infiltration and bogus voters.”
Bhandari alleged that Banerjee was attempting to halt the cleanup because it would remove “fake entries” that helped her party maintain dominance.
‘Noose Is Tightening’, Says Amit Malviya
BJP’s West Bengal co-incharge Amit Malviya echoed the charge, saying Banerjee would continue to “complain and dramatise” the process because she fears losing the 2026 assembly election.
“Her political survival depends on shielding a voter base created through fraudulent and illegal means,” Malviya claimed, adding that West Bengal had witnessed “the highest levels of illegal infiltration” despite the presence of the BSF along the 4,096-km India-Bangladesh border.
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He alleged that Banerjee’s administration facilitated documentation, provided cover, and settled infiltrators in electorally crucial pockets.
BJP Points to Presidency Region as ‘Ground Zero’
Malviya further argued that the Trinamool Congress’ mandate “rests heavily” on seats in the Kolkata Presidency region, which includes parts of Kolkata, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas.
According to him, these districts have seen the highest concentration of fake voters, frequent poll-time violence, and incidents linked to the Diamond Harbour region.
The TMC has not yet issued a detailed response to the BJP’s latest allegations, though Banerjee’s letter emphasised that the SIR must not put people at risk or compromise administrative processes.
