Former West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Saturday launched a fresh attack on the Election Commission and the BJP, alleging that a “conspiracy” was hatched to capture Bengal and that 9.3 million names were removed from the electoral rolls.
Addressing a public meeting in Serampore, Banerjee also targeted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, whom she referred to as “Vanish Kumar”, and said her party’s agitation against the Election Commission would continue.
“They orchestrated a scheme to capture Bengal and struck 9.3 million names off the rolls,” Banerjee alleged. “Just as I exposed ‘Vanish Kumar’, I will expose the wrongdoers. ‘Vanish Kumar’ must go. Our agitation will continue until he leaves.”
Mamata Targets Election Commission Over SIR
Banerjee’s remarks came amid the continuing political dispute over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
The Election Commission’s official West Bengal website publishes separate lists relating to the SIR process, including deletion lists, supplementary lists and the final electoral roll.
Banerjee alleged that her party was among the first to raise questions about the role of Election Commission official Seema Khanna. She further claimed that BJP workers had submitted large numbers of Form 6 applications bearing the BJP’s seal.
“I have preserved all the evidence. I was the first to coin the name ‘Vanish Kumar’. Do you know why? Because names were being systematically deleted from the voter list,” she stated.
Form 6 is the Election Commission’s prescribed application for enrolment of a new elector. The Trinamool Congress has previously alleged that large numbers of such applications were being submitted as part of an attempt to alter the composition of West Bengal’s electoral rolls. The Election Commission’s SIR process provides for claims and objections and allows eligible voters whose names are absent from the draft roll to seek inclusion.
EC Data Shows Millions of Appeals
The scale and impact of the SIR exercise remain a subject of legal and political dispute.
The Election Commission told the Supreme Court in September that 38.20 lakh appeals had been filed against orders relating to the SIR exercise, with 1.02 lakh disposed of and more than 37 lakh still pending at the time of its affidavit.
The poll panel also informed the Supreme Court that 27.16 lakh voters had been removed during the SIR process, while more than 22 lakh of them had filed appeals seeking reinstatement.
Banerjee, however, has cited a substantially higher figure of 9.3 million names while alleging that voters were systematically removed.
Banerjee Questions Assembly Election Result
Banerjee also reiterated her allegation that the Trinamool Congress did not genuinely lose the recent Assembly election, claiming that the party was “forced to lose”.
She alleged that electronic voting machines and counting centres had been “hijacked” during the election and said she believed further details would emerge.
“We did not lose; we were forced to lose,” Banerjee said. “Everything will gradually come to light. The truth cannot be suppressed.”
These claims have been made by Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress and have not been established by the Election Commission or a court.
‘We Will Capture Delhi’, Banerjee Says
Banerjee accused the BJP and the Election Commission of working together to remove voters from the electoral rolls and alleged that the exercise was part of a broader attempt to influence Bengal’s political landscape.
“They may have captured Bengal, but we will capture Delhi,” she said.
She also called for greater coordination among opposition parties at the national level.
“The entire country is united and allied. We will fight together,” Banerjee said, arguing that political parties should set aside differences and focus on ensuring transparency in the electoral process.
“There is no need to look at who is red, blue or yellow. The election process must be transparent,” she said.
