Kolkata, Jan 2: Trinamool Congress (TMC) National General Secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee on Friday said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will meet Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi to raise objections over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.
Addressing a mega political rally at Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district, Banerjee said he had met the CEC earlier this week and conveyed the party’s concerns. “I met the Chief Election Commissioner this week. He pointed fingers at me, and I told him clearly that he is nominated while I am elected. Now Mamata Banerjee will be going to Delhi,” Banerjee said.
At the rally, Banerjee presented three residents of South 24 Parganas Manirul Molla, Harekrishna Giri and Maya Das who were allegedly marked as “deceased voters” in the draft electoral rolls published on December 16, 2025. He alleged that the SIR exercise was being used to curb the voting rights of people in West Bengal.
Friday’s rally marked Banerjee’s first major political programme in the New Year, ahead of the crucial West Bengal Assembly elections scheduled in 2026. TMC sources said he is expected to address similar rallies across the state in the coming days.
Setting an electoral target, Banerjee said the TMC would win at least one more seat in the 2026 Assembly elections compared to its 2021 performance. “That extra seat should come from South 24 Parganas. In 2021, we won 30 out of 31 seats here. This time, we must win Bhangar at any cost,” he said. The Bhangar seat is currently held by All India Secular Front (AISF) MLA Naushad Siddiqui.
Banerjee also launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of interfering in people’s personal choices. “They want to decide what people should eat and wear. They brand Bengali culture as Bangladeshi culture. As long as Mamata Banerjee is here, such attempts will fail in West Bengal,” he said.
Escalating his attack, Banerjee warned that the TMC was prepared to take its protest to the national capital. Targeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the CEC, he alleged that the BJP was defaming West Bengal by branding it as a hub of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis. “When I asked how many Rohingyas or Bangladeshis were removed from the electoral rolls, the CEC started pointing fingers at me. I told him to put his finger down,” he said.
Banerjee questioned Amit Shah’s recent remark about turning West Bengal into “Golden Bengal,” asking why BJP-ruled states had not achieved similar outcomes. He also referred to reports of deaths linked to contaminated drinking water in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, alleging failure in providing basic amenities.
Accusing the BJP of trying to curb voters’ rights through the SIR process, Banerjee said, “The people of Bengal will give them a fitting reply.” Announcing the launch of a statewide campaign from Baruipur, he said he would tour several districts, starting with Alipurduar, and fight the upcoming elections “as Mamata Banerjee’s soldier.”
He also criticised BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari for remarks praising governance in Bangladesh over West Bengal, accusing the BJP of betraying Bengali pride and culture.
