The Trinamul Congress is likely to bring a motion in the upcoming Winter Session of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly condemning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which the party claims has caused widespread panic and distress across the state.
Though the ruling party has officially cooperated with the Election Commission of India in the revision process, senior TMC leaders have accused the Commission of conducting the SIR to “appease the ruling party at the Centre.” The party has also alleged that confusion over the exercise has triggered a spate of suicides in several districts. According to Trinamul insiders, discussions are underway within the legislature party to move a motion highlighting public anxiety over the SIR.
“People are panicking over the way the process is being carried out. Several citizens have taken their own lives fearing deletion of their names from the voter rolls. The issue must be raised inside the Assembly,” said a senior party MLA. The winter session, likely to commence in mid-November, is expected to be the last full-fledged session of the current Assembly before the 2026 state polls. Only an interim budget session will be held in February next year.
Trinamul plans to use the winter sitting to launch a political offensive against both the BJP and the Election Commission of India, portraying itself as a defender of citizens’ rights. The move follows Tuesday’s protest march in Kolkata, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, from Red Road to Jorasanko, demanding withdrawal of the SIR. Party leaders said the massive turnout at the rally strengthened the idea of taking the issue to the Assembly floor.
Notably, the Left-ruled Kerala Assembly had passed a resolution opposing the SIR on 29 September. Meanwhile, fears over the SIR claimed another life in South 24-Parganas. A 55-year-old man, Safikul Gazi, allegedly hanged himself at his in-laws’ house in Joypur, Bhangar. His family said he was distressed over the ongoing voter list revision and worried because he lacked valid identity documents. With his death, the number of SIR-related suicides in Bengal has risen to more than seven.