The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) is planning a mega rally in Kolkata in early November to oppose the proposed Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, party sources said on Friday.
According to TMC insiders, the rally will be addressed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
“A massive rally is being planned in Kolkata after the festive season, once Kali Puja and Bhai Dooj are over,” said a senior TMC leader, according to a report. “The venue is likely to be Shahid Minar ground. If unavailable, we may shift it to the second week of November.”
Opposition to ‘BJP-Backed Ploy’
The TMC has sharply opposed the SIR exercise, calling it a “BJP-backed ploy to bring NRC through the backdoor.” The Election Commission (EC) is preparing to begin the electoral roll revision ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
In September, a team led by Deputy Election Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti visited the state to assess preparedness and conduct training for district election officers.
TMC leaders have also questioned how BJP leaders, including Suvendu Adhikari and Shantanu Thakur, could allegedly predict the number of voter name deletions even before the official notification.
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“Before any notification has come out, how come BJP leaders are claiming that lakhs of names will be removed? Are they writing the script of the SIR from Delhi?” said another TMC functionary.
Political Tensions Rising in Bengal
TMC has made it clear that the voter list revision will become a major political issue in the coming months. Several party leaders have warned that “West Bengal will be on the boil” if even a single genuine voter’s name is deleted.
Meanwhile, the BJP has hit back, claiming TMC is opposing the process because it fears exposure of “fake voters and infiltrators.”
“The chief minister is opposing a routine electoral rolls revision because she wants to protect Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators who have found a place in the voter list,” BJP spokesperson Keya Ghosh said.
Rally Expected to Set the Tone for 2026 Elections
With the political temperature rising in West Bengal, the TMC’s planned November rally is expected to set the stage for a high-stakes confrontation with the BJP ahead of the 2026 elections.
The SIR exercise, which the EC says is a standard revision process, has become a flashpoint between the ruling party and the opposition.
