Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal and supremo of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), began a sit-in protest at the Metro Channel in Dharmatala on Friday afternoon, alleging that legitimate voters are being excluded from the electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
According to party leaders, nearly 60 lakh voter names are currently “under adjudication” in the scrutiny process, which also includes 5 MLAs of TMC. Mamata reached the dharna stage at around 2.05 pm.
Addressing supporters, Mamata sharply criticised the Election Commission of India, alleging irregularities in the voter list revision.
“There is no longer a situation to be ashamed of. Those who are shown as dead in the voter list are present here. Look, they have been declared dead on paper and in pen. Yet they themselves are sitting here and proving that they are alive and well,” she said.
Several senior TMC leaders and MPs were present at the protest. Among them were Jun Malia, Chandrima Bhattacharya, Subrata Bakshi, Sujit Bose, and Firhad Hakim. Mamata said that cultural performances and songs would continue at the protest site.
With the Assembly elections approaching, the SIR process has become a major political flashpoint in the state. Most opposition parties, except the BJP, have taken to the streets against the voter list scrutiny. The Left parties had earlier launched protests on the issue.
TMC claims that the sit-in aims to protest what it calls an attempt to deprive common citizens of their voting rights through the SIR process. Party leaders said TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee will also join the protest. Police permission for the dharna has reportedly been obtained until March 16, indicating that the demonstration could continue for several days.
Political observers say the protest has revived memories of the Singur Movement. In 2006, Mamata, then the leader of the opposition, launched a major agitation against the proposed Tata Nano factory at Singur, demanding protection of farmers’ land. Her 26-day hunger strike at the same Metro Channel site in Dharmatala had become a turning point in state politics and is widely seen as laying the groundwork for the political change that brought the TMC to power.
Analysts believe Mamata is now attempting to evoke that legacy ahead of the elections, projecting herself once again as a leader fighting for the rights of ordinary citizens despite holding the office of Chief Minister.
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