Mamata Launches Dharna Over Voter Roll Deletions

• Mamata Banerjee begins protest at Kolkata’s Metro Channel over voter roll deletions
• Over 63.66 lakh names removed from electoral rolls after revision exercise
• TMC alleges more than 1.2 crore voters may be affected
• Protest comes weeks before West Bengal Assembly elections

GG News Bureau
Kolkata, 7th March: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has launched a protest in central Kolkata against large-scale deletions in the state’s voter rolls following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, escalating the Trinamool Congress’ confrontation with the Election Commission ahead of the Assembly elections.

The sit-in began at the politically symbolic Metro Channel in Esplanade, marking a return to the street politics that once defined Banerjee’s rise in state politics.

Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Election Commission of conspiring to disenfranchise voters, Banerjee said the issue would become a central political theme in the party’s campaign ahead of the elections expected in April.

“I will expose the BJP-EC conspiracy to disenfranchise Bengali voters,” Banerjee said while addressing supporters at the protest site.

The dharna began around 2.15 pm and followed the publication of revised electoral rolls after the SIR process.

According to official data released on February 28, 63.66 lakh names — about 8.3 percent of the electorate — have been deleted since the revision exercise began in November last year. The state’s voter base has consequently reduced from around 7.66 crore to just over 7.04 crore.

In addition, more than 60.06 lakh voters have been placed in the “under adjudication” category, meaning their eligibility will be determined through legal scrutiny in the coming weeks.

The Trinamool Congress has alleged that the revision exercise is politically motivated and could affect more than 1.2 crore voters, a claim rejected by the Election Commission.

From the protest stage, Banerjee claimed several voters had been wrongly declared dead in the revised electoral rolls.

“So many people have been declared dead, but they are alive. I will bring them to the stage,” she said, accusing authorities of serious irregularities in the voter list revision.

The Chief Minister said she would present detailed evidence regarding the alleged irregularities during the continuing protest.

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee also addressed the gathering and called for a “social and political boycott” of the BJP.

“First 58 lakh names were deleted in the draft list. By February 28 the number rose to about 63-64 lakh. Over 60 lakh voters are under adjudication. That means more than 1.2 crore voters are affected,” he said.

The protest also triggered controversy after TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee made a remark against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, saying he would have “cut his finger” if he had not been holding a constitutional position.

The comment drew sharp criticism from opposition leaders.

Senior advocate and TMC Rajya Sabha candidate Menaka Guruswamy said the issue was fundamentally about protecting democratic rights.

“The right to vote is a constitutional right. If that right is taken away, how can elections remain free and fair? We will fight this battle in every court,” she said.

TMC MP Mahua Moitra described the controversy as a struggle for democratic survival, saying the party would not allow voting rights to be compromised.

The protest witnessed brief tension when a group of para-teachers attempted to demonstrate near the venue, prompting Banerjee to accuse the BJP of attempting to disrupt the programme.

The choice of Metro Channel as the protest site carries strong political symbolism for Banerjee. Before becoming chief minister, she frequently used the location for major protests, including a 26-day hunger strike in 2006 against farmland acquisition in Singur, which eventually became a turning point in West Bengal politics.

Banerjee has occasionally returned to agitation politics even after assuming office, most notably in 2019 when she staged a dharna against the Centre over the CBI’s attempt to question the then Kolkata Police Commissioner in the Saradha chit fund case.