Kolkata: The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal is set to launch a campaign against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) after the festive season, starting with a mega-rally in Kolkata this November.
The rally is likely to be addressed by party supremo Mamata Banerjee and the party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. “A massive rally is being planned in November. Both Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek are expected to address the rally in Kolkata. The venue is likely to be decided soon,” said a senior TMC leader.
Amid speculation that the poll watchdog may begin a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in October ahead of next year’s state elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) in September held training sessions for district-level election officers in West Bengal. A team of ECI officials led by deputy election commissioner Gyanesh Bharti visited West Bengal and held meetings to take stock of the preparations ahead of the possible rollout.
Warning of repercussions in Bengal if names of genuine voters were deleted during the electoral roll revision, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said, “Four (ECI) officials, in the name of a field survey, are threatening Booth Level Officers and asking them to prepare documents. It (SIR) could be launched in Bihar because there is a double-engine BJP government. But Bengal is different.”
{{/usCountry}}Warning of repercussions in Bengal if names of genuine voters were deleted during the electoral roll revision, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said, “Four (ECI) officials, in the name of a field survey, are threatening Booth Level Officers and asking them to prepare documents. It (SIR) could be launched in Bihar because there is a double-engine BJP government. But Bengal is different.”
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Addressing the state secretariat earlier this month, CM Banerjee had alleged that the SIR was a ploy to implement the NRC through the backdoor.
Senior leaders have already begun intensifying their opposition to the revision exercise. Soon after Durga Puja, the TMC started organising Bijoya Sammilani events—community gatherings where people exchange greetings—and more than 600 such events are planned across the state. Senior leaders, including Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, are addressing these gatherings. Party leaders said these events are being used to build strong anti-SIR sentiment and mobilise ground-level workers ahead of the rollout.
“We will fight against SIR till our last drop of blood. If the name of even a single legitimate voter is deleted, Bengal will burn and there will be bloodshed. The ECI doesn’t have the right to delete the name of legitimate voters,” TMC leader and former minister Rajib Banerjee said while addressing a Bijoya Sammilani event at Mekhliganj in Cooch Behar on Wednesday.
TMC lawmaker Partha Bhowmick said, “We need to be alert so that names of outsiders are not included in a constituency’s voter’s list and names of genuine voters are not deleted. If one genuine voter’s name is deleted, the BJP leaders of that locality would be detained by the people.”
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“If the name of one genuine voter is deleted, we would gherao ‘Santikunja’ (residence of BJP legislator and leader of the opposition in the state legislative assembly Suvendu Adhikari) with one lakh people. We want to see how much strength he has in his wrist and spine,” TMC state spokesperson Sudip Raha said on Wednesday while addressing a Bijoya Sammilani event at Haldia in East Midnapore.
Calling it “empty threats,” Adhikari said, “If they let me know (when they would gherao Santikunja), I would serve them fermented rice to eat. These are empty threats. Empty vessels make the most noise.”
Addressing a rally at Jalpaiguri in north Bengal on Friday, Adhikari added, “If they (TMC) don’t allow SIR to be rolled out, the voters’ list can’t be prepared. If there is no voters’ list there won’t be any election. If there is no election after May 2026, there would be President’s Rule. The TMC would collapse.”