Baruipur,West Bengal,February 23,2024 – A political rally took an unusual turn Friday as Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee presented three individuals he claimed where wrongly listed as deceased on West BengalS voter rolls,igniting a fierce debate over electoral integrity ahead of the 2026 assembly election.
TMC’s Banerjee Challenges Election Commission with ‘Living Ghosts’
The Trinamool Congress is centering its campaign around alleged discrepancies in the State Integrated Roll (SIR) of voter data, accusing the Election Commission of errors and potential bias.
- Abhishek Banerjee showcased three individuals-Monirul Islam Molla, harikrishna Giri, and Maya Das-who he alleges were incorrectly marked as deceased in the SIR.
- He accused the Election Commission of failing to provide a list of Bangladeshis allegedly removed from voter rolls, claiming the chief election commissioner deflected his inquiry.
- Banerjee criticized the notices sent to 1.3 crore people to attend SIR hearings, questioning the rationale behind targeting ordinary citizens.
- The party is framing the issue as a matter of Bengali pride and vows to defend its constituents against perceived intimidation.
Banerjee presented Monirul Islam Molla, Harikrishna Giri, and Maya Das as evidence of the alleged inaccuracies, claiming they were alive and yet listed as deceased in the State Integrated Roll (SIR).He further accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of being evasive when questioned about a list of Bangladeshis purportedly removed from the voter rolls. “He couldn’t do it,” Banerjee said of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. “Instead, he raised his finger at me. I told him, you are nominated, we are elected. Who are you showing aggression to?”
He further asserted that the party woudl not be intimidated, adding, “They thought Trinamool would go on the backfoot if they showed slight aggression. But, we have shown what it is indeed to be a Bengali. One day Abhishek Banerjee went (to meet the CEC), Mamata Banerjee will go, too. Who will save you then?”
Concerns Raised Over Notices and Discrepancies
According to banerjee, 24 residents of South 24 Parganas district alone were incorrectly identified as deceased in the electoral rolls. He also criticized the issuance of notices to 1.3 crore people to attend SIR hearings, questioning the rationale behind targeting ordinary citizens.
“BJP can send (legal) notices to me and Trinamool workers. But why are notices being sent to common people?” he asked, drawing a comparison to the 2016 demonetization policy, which he said caused widespread disruption. “In 2016,they (BJP) made people stand in line for demonetisation. Ten years later, they are making them stand in line for SIR.”
The rally in Baruipur signals the Trinamool Congress’s intention to make the integrity of the voter rolls a central theme of its campaign for the 2026 west Bengal assembly election. The party appears steadfast to capitalize on public concerns about potential irregularities and perceived bias in the electoral process.
