West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has postponed her scheduled visit to Delhi following the tragic death of NCP leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar, in a plane crash on Wednesday morning.
The chief minister was slated to address a rally in Singur on Wednesday and then proceed to the national capital, but sources said the plan was deferred immediately after news of the accident reached her.
Mamata’s proposed Delhi visit has drawn significant attention in both state and national political circles, particularly in the context of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list. According to sources, the chief minister was considering taking representatives of families who allege that their family members’ names were removed during the SIR process to Delhi.
While her Wednesday visit has been cancelled, she is now expected to travel to the capital on Thursday, if circumstances permit.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee was also scheduled to leave for Delhi on Wednesday morning but did not do so, sources said. His revised travel plan for Thursday remains unchanged.
Also Read: Mamata to visit Delhi amid SIR controversy in WB
Earlier, Abhishek had visited Delhi with a party delegation and met National Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Following that meeting, the TMC sharpened its criticism of the SIR process, claiming that many genuine voters risk losing their voting rights under the guise of revision. Mamata has repeatedly raised the issue, warning of a protest in Delhi if even a single legitimate voter’s name is deleted from the electoral rolls.
Party sources indicated that during her Delhi visit, Mamata may intensify her political attack on the role of the Chief Election Commissioner. The chief minister maintains that common people are being harassed unnecessarily in the name of voter list revision.
She has also expressed strong opposition to the ‘hearing’ process linked to the revision, which she says is creating difficulties for many citizens, and has conveyed to close aides that her protest against it will continue.
The postponement of the Delhi trip comes in the wake of the shocking death of Ajit Pawar. The senior NCP leader lost his life in a plane crash while traveling from Mumbai to Baramati on Wednesday morning. According to initial information, the aircraft had taken off from Mumbai and encountered serious technical problems while attempting to land about an hour later. The plane crashed within moments and burst into flames.
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