West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee unleashed a scathing attack on the BJP and the Election Commission during the Trinamool Congress’ Martyrs’ Day rally at Esplanade, alleging a sinister conspiracy to manipulate voter lists ahead of the 2026 assembly polls. She claimed the BJP is plotting a “silent purge” to remove legitimate voters, particularly minorities and Bengali-speaking migrants, from West Bengal’s electoral rolls.

Waving a stack of papers, Banerjee warned TMC workers to remain vigilant, stating, “The real battle in 2026 will be over the voter list, not just the ballot box.” She accused the BJP of using tactics like those allegedly employed in Bihar, where she claimed over 40 lakh names were deleted, and in Maharashtra, where voter rolls reportedly saw a suspicious spike before last year’s assembly elections.

“They can delete names until the day of nomination. Don’t let a single name be struck off,” the TMC chief urged, alleging the BJP and EC were conspiring to tamper with Bengal’s voter lists. She vowed to “gherao” those attempting such manipulations, referencing a mechanism called SIR used in Bihar.

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Banerjee also debunked claims, implicitly targeting BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, that 17 lakh Rohingyas reside in Bengal. “UN data shows only 10-13 lakh Rohingyas globally. Where did this figure come from?” she questioned, accusing the BJP of fabricating numbers to target Muslims.

Urging TMC workers to guard against voter list tampering, Banerjee warned of attempts to include voters from BJP-ruled states while erasing legitimate Bengali voters. The Election Commission has denied similar allegations in Maharashtra, asserting that elections follow parliamentary laws.

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