West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging a conspiracy to “capture Bengal” through the Special Summary Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Addressing a meeting of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) having allegiance to TMC and BLAs at the Netaji Indoor Stadium, Mamata asserted that the BJP’s efforts would fail and declared that her party’s next target would be Delhi.
“No matter what you do with SIR, Bengal will not be yours. This time, we will take Delhi from them,” Mamata said, warning that attempts to remove voters from electoral rolls would be resisted politically.
From the outset of her speech, the Chief Minister accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Election Commission of working together to delete genuine voters. “What does the Commission think? That they will eliminate us by removing voters? The people themselves will eliminate you,” she said.
Laying out her party’s strategy, Mamata urged workers to intensify their grassroots struggle. “We have to tire them out through struggle. They stay on television screens, while we remain among the people,” she told party workers, calling the fight against the BJP a battle for survival.
Virtually sounding the poll bugle for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, Mamata described the contest as the “final chapter” for the BJP in the state. “The 2026 election will be the immersion of the BJP and its agents. The BJP must be reduced to zero,” she declared.
She also sought to reassure Matua, Scheduled Caste, and minority communities, urging them not to fall prey to divisive tactics. “They are trying to divide you with money. Don’t fall for their bait,” she said.
The meeting was convened to ensure that no eligible voter’s name is removed during the ongoing SIR process. During her address, Mamata raised serious objections to the role of the Election Commission and the state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), particularly over the appointment of central government employees as micro-observers for the second phase of the SIR.
“I have heard that central government employees are being given responsibility. I want all the details—who they are, which department they work in, and where they live,” she said, adding that appointments had been made without informing the state government. Questioning their neutrality, she asked, “Who are these micro-observers? Or are they agents of the BJP?”
The Chief Minister also objected to the lack of clarity regarding hearing venues and questioned whether officials from other states would conduct hearings in West Bengal. “Do they know the Bengali language? Do they understand the language? There should be a limit to everything,” she said, expressing anger over the arrangements.
Taking a sarcastic tone, Mamata mocked the hearing process and accused the BJP of influencing appointments. “They are supposedly going to conduct hearings. Not hearings— give them an earring each,” she remarked.
Mamata then directly targeted the state’s Chief Electoral Officer, accusing him of misconduct and political bias, though she did not name him. She also referred to the Election Commission derisively as “Vanishing Babu,” alleging poor planning and faulty voter mapping. “Your mapping is wrong—absolutely wrong, a total blunder,” she said, claiming the process was being run “at the behest of the BJP.”
The Chief Minister also launched a scathing attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah, calling him an “incompetent” and “autocratic” Home Minister. Referring to controversies over birth certificates, Mamata accused the Centre of facilitating fake documentation and taunted the BJP leadership with sharp sarcasm.
She further alleged that Shah was controlling central policies, citing the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the MNREGA scheme. “I have no objection to the name of Ram, but are they turning the country into ‘Ram Naam Satya Hai’?” she asked.
Mamata concluded her address by asserting that despite pressure and threats, she would continue to speak out. “They can even cut my throat if they want, but I will still speak for the people,” she said, framing the confrontation over SIR as a broader political battle—one that, according to her, now extends beyond Bengal to Delhi.
Also read: EC seeks central forces for Kolkata CEO office amid tensions
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