Why SIR in a hurry before polls only in oppn states, asks CM
Times of India | 5 November 2025
Kolkata: Chief minister
on Tuesday questioned why Election Commission has rolled out special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in three of the four poll-bound states, leaving out the only one where BJP is at the helm.
"Can you cover 10 crore population and fill all the forms in these three months (the duration of the SIR), something which took 2-3 years in 2022? You could have done it after the polls. There are four election-bound states — Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam. You did SIR in three opposition-governed states but why not the double-engine state?" asked Mamata, referring to Assam, which has been left out of the roll revision.
The CM was speaking at a rally near Jorasanko Thakurbari after a 4km-march led by her and Abhishek from Red Road in the afternoon.
Mamata also asked why so many years after Independence, people are still being asked to prove their Indian citizenship. "Do we have to prove our citizenship to BJP after being born and brought up in this land? After being an MP for seven times and chief minister three times, I still have to prove that I am not a Bangladeshi," rued Mamata.
Speaking at the same rally, TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said they would head to Delhi for a larger demonstration following seven deaths in the state linked to fears over the roll revision.
In an attempt to highlight the flaws in the preparation of electoral rolls, Mamata said singer Dwijen Mukhopadhyay's name was not on the 2002 list. The singer, who died in 2018, had changed residence from Shyampukur in north Kolkata to Salt Lake HA Block before 2002 but the list of neither constituency had his name.
"His name doesn't appear in any of the voter mapping. If his name can go missing, I wonder what would happen to other people," she said, after pulling out two sheets of paper which she said were copies of the 2002 lists from the two constituencies.
She also said close to 200 names are missing from the 2002 list in Coochbehar.
Trinamool is aware of "all possible game plans", Mamata said. "You did SIR in Bihar but the people there did not realise what you were up to.
Hence, you could delete names (from the list). But do not expect the same here. If a single eligible voter is removed from the electoral rolls, we will ensure the fall of this BJP govt," she said.
Accusing BJP of plotting deletion of names of eligible voters through the SIR to ensure its victory in next year's assembly polls, Banerjee said, "If you think cutting 2-3% votes will win you 294 seats, you're in a fool's paradise.
Your voters will now back us to protect their existence."
Asking people not to be afraid of the SIR, she asked those who lack documents for the revision to visit Trinamool camps being held across the state. "We will solve your problems. We will help you get your documents. We will fight at the booth level as well in court. Just be sure whom you are showing your documents to. Don't fall prey to BJP," Mamata said.
"If you go to their camps, you may end up in detention centres," she said, looking at members of the Matua community who were sitting in front of the dais.
BJP has been asking the Matuas whose names don't figure on the 2002 rolls and who don't have any of the documents required to retain their names on the revised list to visit camps organised by the party to apply for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act.
Abhishek, who spoke before CM, declared that the party has decided to hold a demonstration in Delhi following seven deaths in Bengal in the past week over "SIR fears".
"We had said at the start of the SIR that if the name of even one eligible voter is struck off, we will raise the issue in Delhi. Over the last week, seven people lost their lives — they were eligible voters. Their names have been removed from the electoral rolls, so TMC will go to Delhi and show its strength there," he said. Family members of three of those who lost their lives attended the rally.
He referred to Mamata's demand in 1993 for the introduction of voter identity cards. Thirteen protesters died in police firing during a demonstration on the issue on July 21, 1993. Abhishek said: "Today, we face a similar fight. We are prepared to shed blood, but we will not bow our heads before Delhi."