Is Mamata Banerjee Engaging in 'Theatrics' Over SIR to Protect Illegal Voters from Bangladesh?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- BJP's Accusations: The BJP has accused Mamata Banerjee of obstructing the SIR to protect illegal voters.
- Electoral Integrity: The ongoing situation raises concerns about electoral roll accuracy.
- Political Implications: The outcome of this controversy may influence the 2026 assembly elections.
- State Welfare Programs: Illegal infiltrators reportedly benefiting from taxpayer-funded schemes is a major point of contention.
- Call for Investigation: BJP leaders are demanding a thorough inquiry into the allegations.
Kolkata, Nov 20 (NationPress) The BJP has accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of engaging in “theatrics” regarding the Election Commission’s current Special Intensive Revision (SIR) initiative, claiming she aims to obstruct the removal of names belonging to illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators from the state's electoral rolls.
This accusation emerged following the Chief Minister's letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, in which she urged an immediate cessation of the revision process.
The BJP's Information Technology Cell Chief and central observer for West Bengal, Amit Malviya, made a statement on social media shortly after the Chief Minister's correspondence with the CEC. Malviya suggested that Banerjee's anxiety about the SIR stems from the fact that her previous electoral victories heavily rely on the areas most affected by illegal infiltration.
“Mamata Banerjee will persist in her complaints and dramatization of the SIR process because she is aware that the situation is becoming more precarious for her, risking her defeat in 2026. Her political future hinges on protecting a voter base established through deceptive and illegal methods,” Malviya noted in his social media post.
He also asserted that during the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections, the citizens of the state will select their Chief Minister, “not someone who acts as though she is the provincial leader of East Pakistan.”
State BJP leader Tanmay Mukhopadhyay remarked that the Chief Minister is furious due to the compounded effects of the SIR and the recent outcomes from the Bihar assembly elections.
“She understands that her stronghold will crumble if the names of illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya voters are removed from the voter list. This is why she is so intent on halting the SIR,” Mukhopadhyay stated.
Fashion designer-turned-politician and BJP legislator from Asansol (Dakshin) assembly constituency in West Burdwan district of West Bengal, Agnimitra Paul, alleged that numerous women illegal infiltrators from Bangladesh are also reaping benefits from Lakshmir Bhandar, the state’s financial aid program for women.
She called for a comprehensive investigation into the matter, questioning, ”Why are illegal infiltrators benefiting from state-funded schemes supported by taxpayers’ money?”