Mamata alleges ‘BJP hijacking voters, EC accepting fake registrations’; writes to CEC over ‘serious conspiracy’
The Statesman | 1 April 2026
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee has written to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the BJP and the Election Commission of India (ECI) of attempting to tamper with the voters’ list in West Bengal ahead of the high-stakes 2026 Assembly elections.
Sharing details of the letter on social media, the TMC chief flagged a “serious conspiracy” to undermine democratic rights in the state.
In her communication, Banerjee alleged that BJP workers were submitting large numbers of Form 6 applications, used for new voter registration, to allegedly include “outsiders” in the state’s electoral rolls.
She claimed that party agents were caught red-handed filing “thousands of fraudulent applications” at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, calling it an attempt at “voter hijacking.”
Drawing parallels with past elections, Banerjee said similar tactics had allegedly been used by the BJP in states like Maharashtra and Delhi.
The West Bengal Chief Minister also questioned the functioning of the Election Commission, accusing it of fast-tracking these applications without proper scrutiny.
According to her, the poll body’s actions raise concerns about transparency and fairness, especially at a time when lakhs of voter names are already under verification.
Banerjee further alleged that the process violates established legal norms and could impact the credibility of upcoming elections.
In the letter, Banerjee warned that many of the applications may not be routine requests but part of a “deliberate attempt” to include individuals who are not genuine residents of West Bengal.
She said such actions, if proven true, would be “illegal, unconstitutional, and fundamentally undemocratic,” stressing that electoral rolls must reflect only legitimate voters.
In her letter, the CM alleged ‘BJP, ECI working in coordination’. Mamata wrote, “We are now witnessing what appears to be another coordinated attempt by the BJP, in conjunction with the ECI, to interfere with the democratic rights of the people.”
Banerjee has urged the ECI to immediately stop accepting any questionable applications and ensure strict compliance with legal guidelines.
She also called for safeguards to prevent the addition of ineligible voters after the publication of the final electoral roll on February 28, 2026.
“I have demanded that the Election Commission of India immediately halt this undemocratic process, strictly adhere to the directives of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, and ensure that no fraudulent voters are added to the rolls following the publication of the final voter list on February 28, 2026. Bengal will not allow its democracy to be stolen in broad daylight. The people of Bengal are watching,” she said.