Mamata Banerjee Elated as Supreme Court Upholds Voting Rights for Restored Voters in Bengal
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared on Thursday that she is "no one happier" following a landmark Supreme Court decision. The ruling permits individuals whose names were removed during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) but later reinstated by appellate tribunals to vote in the upcoming Bengal elections.
CM's Immediate Reaction and Judicial Praise
Speaking after landing in Cooch Behar, Banerjee shared her enthusiasm, stating, "Congratulations to everyone. I received the good news just after boarding the helicopter from Dinhata. I was saying from the beginning to remain patient. I am very happy and proud of the judiciary." She emphasized her personal involvement in the legal battle, having approached the apex court herself, which ultimately led to this favorable verdict.
Implementation Plans and Voter Empowerment
Banerjee outlined practical steps to ensure affected voters can exercise their rights. "Everyone should apply at tribunals and you will get your rights reinstated. The Supreme Court has said that a supplementary list for the first phase will be published on April 21. I will ask my workers to make voter forms based on this list within nightfall so that people can vote. On April 27, another supplementary list will be out for the second phase on April 29. There's no one happier than me today," she added, highlighting her commitment to swift action.
Criticism of Delimitation Bill and Alleged Divisive Tactics
In a sharp critique, Banerjee accused the proposed delimitation bill of being an attempt to "divide the country." She questioned the linkage with women's reservation, saying, "I, too, have fought for 33% reservation for women in Parliament. Why did you attach delimitation with women's bill? The reason is simple: you want to divide Bengal. The delimitation bill is separate. Women's reservation is completely different. This is a trap to delete more names and implement NRC. Don't fall for it."
Continued Attacks on SIR and BJP Leadership
During rallies in Mathabhanga, Alipurduar, and Dinhata, the Chief Minister intensified her criticism of the SIR, equating it with efforts to "disenfranchise" citizens through delimitation and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). She also targeted Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his remarks about removing those not on voter lists, asserting, "If we stay in office, I will not allow them to do any such thing."
National Opposition Support and Voter Restoration Efforts
Banerjee claimed that opposition leaders nationwide are reaching out to her, recognizing Bengal as a focal point of targeting by the BJP. "Be it Uddhav Thackeray or MK Stalin or Akhilesh or Tejashwi, everyone wants to talk to me. They understand that BJP is targeting Bengal," she stated. Addressing the scale of voter deletions, she noted that nearly 60 lakh names were removed under the guise of logical discrepancies, but through her efforts in the streets and Supreme Court, 32 lakh have been retained. "Sooner or later, every legitimate voter will feature in the electoral list," she affirmed, underscoring her ongoing fight for voter inclusion.
