New Delhi, Jan 27 (NationPress) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is preparing to escalate her confrontation with the Election Commission regarding its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, taking this battle from the state to the national arena.

Previously, it was her nephew and Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee who organized party MPs in Delhi to challenge the electoral body.

On December 31, the three-time MP from West Bengal’s Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency led a delegation to meet the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi.

The over two-and-a-half hour discussion was reportedly intense and did not adequately address the delegation’s concerns, “except for two or three points,” according to the Trinamool heir.

While he raised issues akin to those brought up by Rahul Gandhi, alleging the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) “unusually high strike rate” in state elections, the Trinamool leader claimed that other opposition parties, including the Congress, have overlooked the lapses his party has highlighted. He pointed to the ruling party’s victories in Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, and Bihar, questioning if this trend was mere coincidence, a sentiment echoed by the Leader of the Opposition.

Abhishek Banerjee emphasized that only the Trinamool has identified critical issues contributing to “vote theft” favoring the BJP, which other opposition parties have failed to see.

While Mamata Banerjee has primarily conducted her protests in West Bengal, she has frequently warned the electoral body that she would bring her campaign to their doorstep in Delhi.

According to Trinamool leaders, although Rahul Gandhi previously presented evidence of electoral fraud, his party has taken further steps by implementing booth-level vigilance. They believe that taking their narrative to Delhi will strengthen their position within the larger anti-BJP opposition, boosting both their status and credibility.

The party Chairperson now seems poised to claim credit for the “vote theft” initiative, previously initiated by Rahul Gandhi but abandoned due to lack of consensus.

In light of a recent Supreme Court directive requiring the Election Commission to display names of individuals categorized under “logical discrepancies” during the SIR exercise and to provide clearer guidelines for submitting documents and objections, the party claims vindication.

Adding to their satisfaction was the last-minute extension of the process in the state.

According to sources close to her, Mamata Banerjee solidified her plans for Delhi over the weekend. Her meeting with Akhilesh Yadav, chief of the Samajwadi Party, at the state Secretariat in Kolkata was more than coincidental.

The Trinamool chief has a rapport with the Uttar Pradesh opposition leader and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal, which previously transformed into a “pressure group” within the Opposition INDIA platform.

It is rumored that Mamata Banerjee might visit the Election Commission headquarters at Nirvachan Sadan, while her visit to Parliament is expected to include meetings with some opposition leaders. The party has repeatedly warned that if even one legitimate voter’s name is excluded from the rolls, they would escalate their protests to Delhi with one lakh supporters.

This threat was first articulated by Abhishek Banerjee during a rally in Kolkata on November 4, the day the SIR process began in West Bengal. He has reiterated this commitment, showcasing the party’s determination to confront the Election Commission.

Though her visit is anticipated to be without that overwhelming crowd of supporters, observers believe Mamata Banerjee’s trip to Delhi will achieve dual objectives: to elevate the voter list controversy at the national forefront and to consolidate the Trinamool’s position against the BJP. It presents an opportunity to portray her as a vigilant force capable of uncovering electoral malpractice, setting her apart from other opposition parties.

As Akhilesh Yadav remarked after Tuesday’s meeting, “Only ‘Didi’ can counter the onslaught of the BJP in this country,” the Trinamool holds high hopes for the upcoming visit.