Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday asserted that the BJP would secure more than 177 seats out of 294 in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly Election 2026, backing his claim with sharp remarks on the ongoing voter list revision process.
Addressing a workers’ meeting in Ramnagar while campaigning for BJP candidate Chandra Shekhar Mandal, Adhikari struck a defiant tone, contrasting the party’s past performance with its current ambitions. “From 3 seats in 2016 to 77 in 2021 — this time we will not fall short of 177,” he said.
Adhikari drew attention to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, using a series of sarcastic analogies to criticise the scale of deletions.
“In the ‘first round’ — during breakfast — 58 lakh names were struck off. During ‘lunch,’ another 60 lakh were removed. In the evening — over ‘tea and peanuts’ — another 14 lakh names were deleted; ‘dinner’ is yet to come,” he remarked.
He further claimed that nearly 79 lakh names had already been removed and alleged that a significant portion of these votes would have otherwise been “rigged” by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). “For the wise, a mere hint is sufficient,” he added.
Adhikari maintained that his projection of 177-plus seats is based on the revised voter data emerging from the SIR process. Earlier, the BJP had estimated that between 1 crore to 1.5 crore names could be removed during the revision, a figure current trends appear to be approaching.
The voter list revision has, however, triggered sharp political reactions. The TMC has accused the BJP and the Election Commission of India of colluding to delete names of legitimate voters.
The controversy has intensified following the publication of the first supplementary list under the SIR process. Out of approximately 60 lakh applicants, the status of 29 lakh voters has been adjudicated so far, leading to both inclusions and exclusions.
Earlier, around 60 lakh names were kept under scrutiny due to data inconsistencies. The verification process has been conducted under judicial oversight, including directives from the Supreme Court and supervision by the Calcutta High Court.
With political parties interpreting the voter list revisions through sharply opposing lenses, Adhikari’s remarks signal the BJP’s attempt to frame the narrative ahead of the elections.
As the fate of the remaining voters under scrutiny is expected to be decided soon, the voter list issue continues to emerge as a central flashpoint in the run-up to the West Bengal’s 2026 Assembly polls.
Also read: TMC sets 60,000-vote margin target for Mamata
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