Mamata Banerjee Leads Massive Rally Against Voter List Revision, Accuses BJP and ECI of 'Silent Rigging'

Chief Minister Leads Kolkata Protest

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spearheaded a significant rally in Kolkata on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, to protest against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The rally, which commenced from Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's statue and proceeded through the heart of Kolkata to Jorasanko, saw the Chief Minister accuse the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of India (ECI) of a concerted effort to manipulate voter lists.

Banerjee, accompanied by Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, vehemently criticized the SIR process, labeling it as 'silent, invisible rigging' aimed at influencing the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections. She warned of dire political repercussions, stating that the 'fall of the Narendra Modi government will be inevitable' if even a single eligible voter is deleted from West Bengal's electoral rolls.

Allegations of Collusion and Disenfranchisement

During the protest, Mamata Banerjee articulated several serious allegations against the BJP and the ECI. She claimed that the two entities were 'colluding to erase voters from opposition-ruled states' while allegedly sparing those governed by the saffron party. The Chief Minister further alleged a plot to remove 'nearly two crore voters' from West Bengal's rolls as part of a broader strategy to consolidate power.

Banerjee questioned the rapid pace of the current SIR, highlighting that the last such revision in 2002 took two years to complete, while the present exercise is being rushed to finish within a month. She mockingly referred to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as 'kursi babu' and accused the ECI of bias and manipulation. Specific instances of alleged discrepancies were cited, such as significant reductions in voter numbers in areas like Cooch Behar and Alipurduar compared to the 2002 lists. The TMC also views the SIR as a 'backdoor implementation of the controversial NRC (National Register of Citizens)'.

Reactions and Counter-Allegations

The BJP has dismissed the TMC's accusations as 'baseless and politically motivated', welcoming the SIR as a measure to enhance transparency in electoral rolls. Suvendu Adhikari, the state's Leader of Opposition from the BJP, led a counter-rally, asserting that the TMC's opposition to the SIR is 'unconstitutional' and advocating for the deportation of 'Bangladeshi infiltrators'. The BJP has also accused the TMC of inflating voter rolls, claiming that over 40 lakh 'duplicate or fake' names were present in Bengal's lists during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The Election Commission of India has denied the charges of manipulation, stating that the SIR is a routine and necessary exercise designed to remove deceased voters, migrants, and duplicate entries. The ECI maintains that the process is transparent and fair, devoid of political motives. Earlier in March 2025, the ECI acknowledged that similar EPIC (Electoral Photo Identification Card) numbers had occurred due to a 'decentralised & manual mechanism' but assured that this would not lead to bogus voting. In August 2025, the ECI suspended four officials for sharing login credentials and wrongfully adding names to electoral rolls.

TMC's Ongoing Resistance

The TMC has been actively resisting the SIR, with Abhishek Banerjee threatening a 'Delhi Chalo' movement if voter names are arbitrarily removed. The party has also warned of legal action and widespread protests if genuine voters are disenfranchised. In March 2025, the TMC initiated a door-to-door campaign to scrutinize electoral rolls amidst these allegations. The party claims that the fear surrounding the SIR has led to seven suicides in the state, a claim the BJP has dismissed as 'manufactured melodrama'.