West Bengal Chief Minister Alleges Systematic Voter Deletion in Her Constituency
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has made serious allegations against the Election Commission of India, claiming that voters' names were intentionally deleted from electoral rolls in her Assembly constituency of Bhabanipur. The accusations came during a crucial meeting with her party's booth level agents and councilors at her Kalighat office in Kolkata.
Detailed Documentation of Electoral Irregularities Ordered
During the meeting with 267 booth level agents (BLAs) and eight councilors from Bhabanipur, Banerjee issued specific instructions for comprehensive documentation of the alleged irregularities. She directed them to:
- Submit detailed reports of electors whose names were deleted during the Special Intensive Revision exercise
- Document cases where voters were called for hearings over "logical discrepancies" in their records
- Prepare lists of those whose names might be excluded from the final electoral list
The Chief Minister asked Minister Firhad Hakim and party MLA Debashis Kumar to compile these reports before her scheduled two-day visit to New Delhi, where she plans to meet Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday.
Specific Concerns About Ward-Level Manipulation
Banerjee expressed particular concern about ward number 77, where she noted that many voters' names were deliberately left out. She emphasized that there should be no rigging of votes anywhere and described the upcoming election as "our direct fight against evil."
The Chief Minister also directed party workers to pay special attention to ward numbers 63 and 72, asking them to conduct door-to-door visits to maintain direct contact with voters and carefully verify electoral lists.
Broader Political Implications and Demographic Concerns
According to senior TMC leaders, the Chief Minister is worried that the constituency's demography is being altered through the Special Intensive Revision exercise. The draft voter list has already seen more than 45,000 names deleted, with concerns that additional deletions might occur when the final list is published.
Banerjee praised her party workers for their hard work while reminding them that the coming days would present a tough test for the organization. She urged councilors to remain vigilant against alleged malpractices and ensure proper electoral representation for all legitimate voters in the constituency.
The allegations come amid ongoing political tensions in West Bengal, with the Chief Minister positioning this as a crucial battle against what she described as attempts to manipulate electoral outcomes through systematic voter exclusion.
