West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee continued her indefinite sit-in protest in Kolkata for the fourth consecutive day on Mondayaccusing the Election Commission of India of arbitrarily deleting voters’ names during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The protest, which began on March 6is being held in central Kolkata near the Esplanade Metro station and the Metro Channel area in Dharamtalaa location historically used by Banerjee for political demonstrations.
Allegations over voter list deletions
Banerjee has alleged that large numbers of voters’ names have been removed from electoral rollsclaiming the deletions are part of a wider attempt to disenfranchise voters ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
According to her statements during the protest, some individuals were allegedly marked as “dead” or removed from the list despite being active voters. She accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of being behind what she described as a “conspiracy” to manipulate voter data.
The Chief Minister said the protest would continue until the alleged irregularities in the electoral revision process are addressed.
Dharna at a historic protest site
The sit-in is taking place at Dharamtala’s Metro Channel areaa location closely associated with Banerjee’s political protests over the years. During the demonstration, she has been addressing supporters and coordinating party workers while criticizing the voter roll revision process.
Visuals and reports from Monday show Banerjee interacting with supporters and directing party cadres regarding political messaging related to the protest.
Opposition criticism
The protest has also drawn criticism from opposition leaders. Suvendu Officiala senior BJP leader in West Bengal, described the sit-in as “political drama” and accused Banerjee of attempting to divert attention from other issues.
The ongoing protest reflects escalating political tensions between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal and the central leadership ahead of the next state election cycle.
Other political issues raised
During the protest, Banerjee has also referred to other ongoing political issues, including recent criticism from Draupadi Murmuthe President of India, regarding protocol matters linked to a tribal event in Darjeeling.
She also mentioned rising costs of essential commodities, including the recent increase in LPG cylinder priceswhile addressing supporters.
Banerjee has indicated that the sit-in protest will continue as part of a broader political campaign to challenge what she calls “irregularities” in the electoral process.
Comments are closed.