Mamata Banerjee Targets BJP Over 12 Lakh Voter Names Deleted

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of removing legitimate voters’ names from the rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Addressing a rally in Pandaveswar in West Bardhaman, Banerjee dubbed the BJP a “vanish washing machine,” alleging that the party, in collusion with the Election Commission, was systematically targeting voters across communities.

Banerjee’s comments came following the release of the supplementary voter list by the Election Commission, which deemed 12 lakh voters ineligible. “BJP is deleting names of voters under the disguise of SIR and snatching their voting rights. Not only Muslim voters, but Hindu, Sikh, Christian, and tribal voters’ names have also disappeared from the list,” she said.

Claiming that the BJP had aimed to remove 1.2 crore names from voter rolls, Banerjee said around 58 lakh names had already been deleted, with another 60 lakh removed citing “logical discrepancies.” She alleged that BJP supporters’ names were being added in place of affected voters, and that the lists were being withheld from opposition parties and the media. She urged affected individuals to approach tribunals, promising that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) would provide free legal assistance.

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Taking a dig at the Election Commission, Banerjee said, “Why is the Election Commission not being able to come out with the list? If you have the guts, why don’t you supply the list of people whose names have been adjudicated?” She added that her fight against the SIR exercise had escalated from public protests to the Supreme Court.

Banerjee also reiterated her party’s stance on citizenship issues, asserting that her government would not allow anyone to be sent to the National Register of Citizens (NRC) or detention camps while it remains in power. She accused the BJP of attempting to establish a one-party system and privatize public assets, describing democracy as being under threat.

West Bengal is scheduled to hold assembly elections in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting for both phases set for May 4. Banerjee expressed confidence that the state would once again vote in favour of the TMC, drawing an analogy between the epic battle of the Pandavas and Kauravas and her party’s struggle against the BJP.

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