SIR a tool to manipulate electorate and bring BJP to power in Bengal: Mamata Banerjee
Telegraph | 13 April 2026
Mamata Banerjee on Saturday continued her diatribe against the BJP-led Centre and the Election Commission, alleging that the special intensive revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bengal was designed to manipulate the electorate and pave the way for the BJP’s rise to power in Bengal.
Addressing a public meeting on the Raban Dahan ground at Keshiyari in West Midnapore in support of Trinamool Congress candidates, the chief minister questioned both the timing and intent of the SIR exercise, alleging that it was being conducted to serve a singular political objective.
“This is not SIR, rather a single-point agenda to bring the BJP to power in Bengal. Please keep this in mind... the deletion of voters, humiliation of voters by forcing all to stand in a queue. They have deleted 90 lakh voters forcefully, of which 60 lakh are Hindus and 30 lakh are Muslims. Even today, people are being forced to stand in a queue... and the objective is one,” she said.
At another rally on the Barjora College ground in Bankura, the Trinamool chairperson alleged that the revision process had disproportionately affected women voters, particularly because of technical and clerical issues. “Our women have been made victims in the SIR because of changes in their surname after marriage. They are omitted for shifting address to their in-laws’ house. Trivial errors in names have led to exclusion from the voters’ list. This is done only to satisfy the BJP,” she said, alleging that central institutions were being deployed to facilitate the process.
Mamata claimed that the coming Assembly election had evolved into a larger battle against the Centre and its administrative apparatus.
“They are planning to come to power by deleting votes. Now the fight is not just against the BJP, but rather against all machineries of the government of India,” she said.
Drawing parallels with Bihar, the chief minister alleged that similar exercises had resulted in deprivation of welfare benefits. “Those whose votes were cut in Bihar are being told that their rations will be stopped, their bank accounts will be frozen. I say, I will not allow this to happen,” Mamata asserted.
She also challenged the BJP’s repeated claims about the presence of infiltrators' names on electoral rolls, arguing that such assertions undermined the legitimacy of past elections. “If the 2024 electoral roll was flawed because of infiltrators' names, then the elections of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are also invalid, and they should resign,” she said.
Questioning the authority behind large-scale deletions, Mamata said: “Who are you to decide exclusion of people from the voters’ list, to decide about citizenship and robbing democratic rights of people?”
Escalating her rhetoric at a rally in Jhargram, Mamata called for a “democratic revenge” against the BJP.
“We will take revenge democratically. More than 250 people have died because of the SIR. Ninety lakh voters have been deleted. You are trying to win the polls forcefully. Those who have voted for the BJP in the past must remember that they are anti-Bengali,” she said, in a politically charged appeal aimed at consolidating regional sentiment.
Mamata also alleged an attempt to invalidate her candidature for the Bhabanipur Assembly seat with the help of the Election Commission. “The BJP, with the EC’s help, tried to invalidate my candidature from Bhabanipur by filing false cases against me, but we foiled their game plan,” she said, without elaborating on the charge.
Mamata is contesting from the seat against the leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, in a high-stakes electoral battle.
Turning to ideological issues, Mamata criticised the BJP’s promise to implement the uniform civil code (UCC) in Bengal, as outlined in its poll manifesto, alleging that it disregarded India’s cultural diversity. “Implementing the uniform civil code means that they will impose a manufactured religion on you. Your faith will be obliterated. They will take away your rights,” she said.
The chief minister also cautioned against attempts to create divisions among indigenous communities, particularly between followers of the Sari and the Sarna faiths, while reiterating her government’s commitment to recognising them. “Some people are trying to create division among the people of the Sari and Sarna religions. Don’t do it. We have passed a law in the Assembly to recognise these religions. We have requested Delhi (Centre) several times. They only come to seek votes during the polls. When the BJP is ousted from power in Delhi in 2026, we will recognise both the Sari and the Sarna religions,” Mamata said.