Following reports of multiple unnatural deaths allegedly linked to ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter list across West Bengal and growing panic surrounding the Election Commission’s exercise, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has decided to launch a special support initiative under the leadership of its All India General Secretary, Abhishek Banerjee.
According to party sources, the newly formed team will begin work from Sunday, visiting the homes of individuals who have reportedly died or suffered mental distress due to SIR-related anxiety. The objective is to offer emotional and practical assistance to the affected families and reassure citizens amid the widespread concern.
In the first phase of the initiative, the team will visit several areas including Titagarh, Dankuni, Hooghly, Uluberia, and the residence of the late Pradeep Karer, who found dead hanging with a rope tied around his neck. Senior leaders have been assigned to each region, and after gathering firsthand information from the families, the party’s leadership will determine the next course of action.
Abhishek’s close aides have stated that the move is driven by compassion and responsibility toward citizens. “The way panic has spread among common people regarding SIR is extremely worrying. Many innocent lives have been pushed into mental distress. Our party will continue to stand by these families,” said a source close to Abhishek.
Political observers view this as a politically strategic yet humane move by the TMC to convey a strong message— that the ruling party will not abandon people in their moment of fear and uncertainty caused by administrative actions.
The decision comes as reports of SIR-related deaths continue to rise across both North and South Bengal. On Friday alone, four such deaths were reported— three men and one woman. According to local sources, two victims died of heart attacks while two others took their own lives.
The ruling party has attributed these incidents to anxiety over the voter list revision, whereas the BJP has countered that they were natural deaths, accusing TMC of politicising personal tragedies.
In a particularly disturbing case, Akbar Ali, an elderly resident of Ishwaripur village in Khardah, attempted suicide after discovering that his family’s names were missing from the 2002 voter list. He was rescued in time by his neighbours and is currently under medical care.
TMC leaders have claimed that 17 people across the state have died by suicide and at least two others have been hospitalised due to heart attacks brought on by fear surrounding the SIR process. The party hopes that its outreach effort, spearheaded by Abhishek, will not only provide relief to grieving families but also secure electoral dividend in the next year’s Assembly elections.
Also read: Mamata denies taking SIR Form, calls reports “false, misleading”
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