West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has intensified her political offensive against the BJP and the Election Commission of India (EC), alleging a coordinated conspiracy to disenfranchise Bengali voters before the 2026 state assembly elections.
Speaking at a rally in Kolkata marking the foundation day of the Trinamool Congress’s student wing, Mamata charged that the BJP had deployed over 500 survey teams in West Bengal under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. She warned her supporters to remain vigilant and ensure their names were not struck off voter lists.
Mamata accused the Election Commission of “overstepping its jurisdiction” by intimidating state officials and argued that its authority extended only to the election period. She further described the BJP’s strategy as “linguistic terror,” invoking Bengali cultural pride and the role of Bengalis in India’s independence movement.
Her rhetoric sharpened as she targeted Hindutva icons, alleging that their predecessors had compromised with British rulers. Mamata also accused Union home minister Amit Shah of hypocrisy over dynasty politics, citing his son Jay Shah’s position in international cricket administration.
Abhishek Banerjee’s Call for Mobilisation
Joining the attack, Abhishek Banerjee, TMC’s national general secretary, accused the BJP of “selecting voters” through the SIR process instead of allowing people to elect governments. He warned that if even one legitimate voter’s name was deleted, TMC would march to Delhi with “1 million Bengalis” to protest.
Abhishek also highlighted TMC’s role in resisting Amit Shah’s proposed constitutional amendments in Parliament and framed the voter list battle as part of a broader struggle to defend Bengali identity and democracy.
Welfare vs Corruption Narrative
Mamata contrasted her government’s welfare initiatives, such as Lakshmir Bhandar for women, with what she described as the BJP’s “corruption bhandar and nepotism.” She also announced plans to publish a memoir on her experiences with India’s prime ministers, to be released at the Kolkata Book Fair.
BJP’s Response
The BJP dismissed Mamata’s allegations as political theatrics. Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya claimed that the Trinamool Congress was inventing stories to cover up its failures and insisted that voters would choose the BJP as the credible alternative in 2026.
The Bigger Picture
The confrontation over voter rolls has become a symbolic battlefield for questions of identity, democracy, and federal authority in Bengal. By framing the SIR as a “backdoor NRC,” Mamata is rallying regional solidarity, while the BJP aims to position itself as the alternative to TMC’s rule.
As both sides escalate their rhetoric, the 2026 assembly elections are shaping up to be not just a contest for power but also a referendum on Bengali cultural identity and democratic rights.
