Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders launched an ambitious door-to-door campaign across West Bengal to scrutinize electoral rolls, alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is rigging the voter list ahead of next year’s assembly polls. The move, spearheaded by TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, comes amid a heated war of words over claims of “ghost voters” infiltrating the state’s democratic process.

Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim led the charge in south Kolkata’s Chetla area, combing through voter lists with party workers. “The BJP is sneaking fake voters from other states into our rolls,” Hakim told reporters, his tone resolute. “We’re hitting the streets to root them out.” Similar efforts unfolded in Banerjee’s stronghold of Bhabanipur and beyond, as TMC cadres fanned out to verify names block by block, following their leader’s directive.

The TMC alleges that outsiders—dubbed “ghost voters” by Banerjee—are being registered under the same Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers as legitimate Bengal residents, a ploy they claim the BJP perfected in Delhi and Maharashtra elections. At Thursday’s TMC state conference, Banerjee accused the BJP of colluding with the Election Commission (EC) to tamper with rolls, vowing an indefinite sit-in protest outside the EC office if the alleged fraud isn’t addressed. The BJP has dismissed these charges as baseless.

West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Office countered that roll updates involve officials and Booth Level Agents from all parties, suggesting transparency. Yet, the TMC remains undeterred, framing this as a fight to safeguard Bengal’s electoral integrity. With the 2026 polls looming, this verification drive signals a fiery prelude to a high-stakes showdown between the state’s ruling party and its saffron rival.