Mamata Banerjee Threatens Dharna Over Voter List During West Bengal SIR Ahead of 2026 Polls
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has issued a stern warning regarding the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, stating that she will sit on a dharna if even one eligible voter’s name is removed from the list.
Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar on Thursday, Banerjee alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is deploying officials with alleged BJP affiliations to oversee district-level SIR operations in West Bengal.
“If even a single eligible voter’s name is struck off, I will sit on a dharna. There will be no detention camps in West Bengal. They are so hungry for votes that they are conducting the SIR just two months before elections,” she said.
Banerjee, who has yet to submit her own enumeration form, questioned the motives behind the SIR process, asking whether she needs to “prove her citizenship to a party of rioters.” She also criticized Union Home Minister Amit Shah, calling him “dangerous” and alleging that his actions target the Bengali community.
The SIR is part of the second phase of electoral roll revisions announced by the ECI in October, following a similar exercise in Bihar. West Bengal, governed by the Trinamool Congress (TMC), has consistently opposed the move, claiming it is designed to benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the state assembly elections expected in the first half of 2026.
In a related update, the ECI has extended the final publication date for West Bengal’s SIR to February 14, 2026, citing the large-scale enumeration work and the need for thorough verification and rationalization of polling stations across the state.
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