In a show of strength and defiance, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday took to the streets of Kolkata, leading a massive rally against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has alleged that the revision amounts to a “silent, invisible rigging” orchestrated by the BJP-led central government in collusion with the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Banerjee, accompanied by her nephew and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, led thousands of supporters through central Kolkata.
The 3.8-km-long march began at the BR Ambedkar statue on Red Road and concluded at Jorasanko Thakur Bari, the ancestral residence of Rabindranath Tagore.
Roads were packed with party workers waving flags, shouting slogans, and carrying placards condemning the SIR process.
Clad in her trademark white saree and slippers, Mamata Banerjee walked at the front of the procession, greeting residents who gathered on balconies and sidewalks to cheer her on.
Abhishek Banerjee followed closely, waving to crowds alongside senior ministers and functionaries.
BJP Hits Back, Calls It “A Rally of Jamat”
The BJP, meanwhile, lashed out at the Chief Minister’s street protest. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari described the rally as a “rally of Jamat,” claiming it went “against the ethos of the Indian Constitution.”
Echoing his stance, West Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya said: “If Mamata ji has to say something, she should approach the Supreme Court. There is total anarchy and absence of law and order in West Bengal.”
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He also alleged demographic manipulation, claiming that “Mamata Banerjee is calling Rohingyas into the state” to add them to the voter rolls — a charge the TMC has strongly denied.
The SIR is a nationwide on-ground verification of electoral rolls by booth-level officers to remove duplicate, deceased, migrated, or illegal voters. The last such drive took place two decades ago.
However, opposition parties have alleged that the exercise is being used selectively to delete names from marginalised communities.
In Bihar, the first phase of the SIR triggered major controversy after over 68 lakh deletions were recorded, prompting a petition in the Supreme Court, which allowed the process to continue with modifications.
Political Tensions Mount Ahead of 2026 Polls
With the second phase of the revision now covering 12 States and Union Territories, the controversy is expected to intensify.
Political observers say the TMC’s street mobilisation reflects a calculated pre-election strategy to portray the party as the defender of democratic rights ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly polls.
“This rally isn’t just about the electoral list. It’s about signalling that the TMC will resist any central interference in Bengal’s democratic space,” said a Kolkata-based political analyst.
