Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said she did not “personally” receive enumeration forms from a Booth Level Officer (BLO), and reaffirmed she will not fill her own form “until all people in Bengal have filled up theirs.”
A day after a BLO visited her official residence, Banerjee took to social media to deny reports “by a section of media” that she had stepped out and received the form in person.
“Yesterday, a designated BLO came to our neighbourhood to do the work. During his work he visited my residence and enquired about how many voters were there and gave the forms,” she wrote in a post on Facebook. “A section of the media is writing that I stepped out of my residence and received the enumeration form personally. This is entirely false, and misleading,” she added.
She also posted in Bengali, “Until each and every one from Bengal fills up the form, I will not fill up the form.”
Officials said a BLO reached 30B, Harish Chatterjee Road — the Chief Minister’s official residence in Kalighat — around 10.30 am, and handed over 17 enumeration forms, after asking about the number of voters at the address.
Banerjee, who has been vociferous in her opposition to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and the Election Commission of India’s handling of it in Bengal, also led a large anti-SIR rally in Kolkata on Tuesday. She staged a padayatra from Red Road to Jorasanko Thakurbari (the residence of Rabindranath Tagore).
During her speech, Banerjee reiterated that “not a single genuine voter’s name should be deleted”.
“We have to continue our fight. Do not be afraid of the agencies, all of this is happening because of the elections. Take legal help if required,” she said. She questioned the “rush” behind the SIR exercise and warned, “If the name of even one eligible voter is left out, I will topple the BJP government.”
She urged people without papers to go to ward offices, municipality offices or gram panchayats, or to visit party camps for help. “I cannot decide who you will vote for, but I can help you. We will fight on the streets and in the courts too,” Banerjee added.