West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee on Sunday called on voters to use the upcoming Assembly elections to “take revenge” for the alleged large-scale deletion of
names from the electoral rolls, sharpening her attack on the Election Commission and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Addressing an election rally at Samserganj in Murshidabad district — which witnessed violent protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Act in April 2025 — Banerjee alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls had been used to remove genuine voters from the list.
“Cast your votes to take revenge for deletion of people’s names, and against the SIR so that the results reflect that,” she told the crowd. She urged those whose names had been deleted during the SIR to file appeals before the tribunal.
Assembly polls in West Bengal will be held in two phases on April 23 and 29, with counting scheduled for May 4. Banerjee asked TMC workers to remain vigilant “till the counting date”.
Targeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah without naming him, Banerjee alleged that he was behind the voter list deletions during the SIR exercise. “If you have the guts, fight directly,” she said in an apparent challenge.
The chief minister also issued a stern warning to party workers and booth agents, urging them not to succumb to pressure or inducements. “I hope none of our booth agents will sell themselves off to the BJP, in the interest of West Bengal,” she said.
Alleging that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) would be “made to malfunction” at some places, Banerjee instructed TMC workers not to allow Election Commission (EC) officials to repair the machines and instead demand replacements.
Campaigning in support of Mohammed Nur Alam in Samserganj and Mohammed Amirul Islam in Farakka, Banerjee accused the BJP of spreading “canards” that she had done little for the Muslim community. She insisted she had strongly opposed the implementation of the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
Murshidabad had turned into a flashpoint during protests over the Act, with several deaths reported, including a father-son duo allegedly hacked to death by a mob. The BJP has accused the TMC of engineering violent agitations in various parts of the district.
Banerjee claimed that development work in the state had stalled due to the election process and blamed the EC for extensive bureaucratic reshuffles. “They (EC) have transferred nearly 500 officers, but this is only for a month; work will begin again after that,” she said. She further accused the Commission of “deleting names of some, while intimidating some others” in the name of SIR.
Questioning the need for revising the electoral rolls ahead of the Assembly polls, Banerjee asked why the elections could not be held using the same voter list that was used for the 2024 general elections.
“If the voter list contained names of infiltrators, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister also won with their votes earlier, so they should have resigned first,” she remarked.
Reiterating her opposition to the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Banerjee said she and her party would “never allow the establishment of detention camps in the name of NRC”. “That is why you are being vengeful against me,” she said, addressing the BJP and the EC. She also reminded the gathering that the Election Commission’s authority over the state administration would last only till the completion of the election process.
The chief minister questioned why several senior officers of her government, previously removed by the EC from their posts in West Bengal, were now being sent to poll-bound Tamil Nadu. She also alleged that officers related to BJP leaders had been deputed in the state.
Highlighting her government’s record, Banerjee claimed that under TMC rule, youths from minority communities as well as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes had gained better access to education and had entered prestigious services such as the IAS, IPS and WBPS, besides becoming doctors and engineers. “The society is advancing, but the jealous BJP people cannot stand this,” she said.
On the welfare front, Banerjee assured voters that women would continue to receive lifelong financial support under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme if the TMC returned to power for a fourth consecutive term.
She also promised employment-linked support for the youth, saying, “We will find livelihood opportunities for those registered under Banglar Yuba Sathi,” referring to the newly launched scheme that provides monthly assistance of Rs 1,500 to jobless youths in the state.
