Setting the tone for the 2026 Assembly polls in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday exhorted Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers to win more than 215 seats, at least one more than the previous election tally in the 294-member state Assembly.
She also directed party workers to physically verify the electoral list, alleging that the BJP in “collusion” with the Election Commission was adding faker voters to the list as “witnessed in the recent Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Delhi”, where the BJP came to power.
Addressing TMC workers and leaders at Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata, the TMC supremo said: “They (BJP) manipulated the voters’ list with the blessings of the Election Commission. (Non-BJP) Parties in Maharashtra could not catch this. Parties in Delhi also could not catch this. That is how they (BJP) won in Maharashtra and Delhi. But we caught it.”
Challenging the BJP, Mamata said: “After Maharashtra and Delhi, now you are targeting Bengal. We will give you a befitting reply. Once again ‘khela hobe’. I am asking party workers to hit the ball harder this time.”
“We will win over 215 seats and further diminish the BJP’s numbers. The BJP will be defeated decisively,” she said, asserting to secure a fourth straight term.
Waving a list containing names of alleged fake voters, the TMC supremo targeted both the BJP and the Election Commission of India. “I have examples from all districts. Here it is. Names of people from Haryana and Gujarat are there with names of Bengal residents and with the same EPIC card. Fake voters are being added online,” she alleged.
Accusing the EC of being influenced by the BJP, the chief minister warned that if corrective action was not taken, her party would stage an indefinite dharna in front of the EC office.
“I had respect for the Election Commission. But now it seems they are filled with BJP-minded people. The new chief election commissioner (Gyanesh Kumar) used to be a secretary in the co-operation department under Union Home Minister (Amit Shah).”
“If I could go on a 26-day hunger strike during the anti-land acquisition movement in 2006, don’t forget we can also launch a movement against the Election Commission, forcing them to restore democracy. If required, we will protest indefinitely in front of the EC office to demand the removal of fake names from the voter roll,” she said.
The TMC supremo also announced the formation of a new committee comprising senior leaders — Subrata Bakshi, Derek O Brien, Abhishek Banerjee, and Firhad Hakim — tasked with overseeing the voter list verification process.
“Our first work is to verify the electoral roles through physical verification. Booth workers should start doing this immediately by visiting the home. District presidents should oversee the process and give feedback within seven days,” the chief minister said.
“Secondly, during house-to-house visits, connect with the people to ensure that the party organisation at the grassroots level stays strong,” the CM told party workers, adding: “Keep a watch in your neighbourhood and ensure outsiders do not cause communal disturbance.”
On setting the 215 plus-seat target for the next Assembly polls, Mamata Banerjee said: “I agree with Abhishek (MP and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee). We should get at least one more seat than what we got in 2021 (214 out of 294). We should ensure 215 seats and try for more. We should ensure that candidates of BJP, CPI(M) and Congress lose or forfeit their deposits in the Assembly elections.”
Stating that she would reward leaders and workers who do hard work for the party, the CM warned: “I will have no mercy on those who are just giving lip service and not doing any work.”
In her speech, the Mamata chief said that TMC would have come to power in 2001 but a section of Congress leaders betrayed. “In 2001, the people of Bengal were ready to oust the CPI(M). We had a seat adjustment with Congress then. However, some Congress leaders betrayed us and we lost the elections.”