With the senior Bengal BJP leaders going on record saying more than 1 crore names would be deleted from the electoral rolls in the State, a fidgety Trinamool Congress has directed its block level leaders and the people’s representatives including MPs, MLAs and Panchayat members to “remain firmly rooted in your constituencies” at least till the Special Intensive Revision gets completed in Bengal.
According to inside sources all the Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of the party have been advised “man marking” — keeping a strong vigil on the Booth Level Officers (BLOs). While BLAs are representatives of the political parties who assist in revision of electoral rolls the BLOs are Government staff on deputation with the Election Commission of India who while conducting SIR usually survey the households in order to ascertain genuineness of the voters.
The alleged “high alert” regarding SIR has been issued by the top TMC leadership including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee particularly after Bengal Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari and Union Minister Shantanu Thakur declared that the names of more than 1 crore voters would be deleted from the electoral rolls in Bengal.
“There are more than 1.2 crore fake voters in Bengal and all these names will be deleted,” Thakur said while Adhikari Saturday said that “at least crore names will be deleted.”
Referring to the SIR process in Bengal he said, “in Bihar 65 lakh names were deleted but in Bengal the number will be more than 1 crore.” It all depended on how the TMC Government helped in conducting the SIR because “the new voters’ list will have to be published by February next year and the election process will have to be completed by April 25… if in that does not take place then there will be Presidents’ Rule in the State which will again not be good for the vote thieves of the TMC,” he said.
On how he could know that such a large number of names could be deleted from the voters’ list he said “I the past 10 years more than 1 crore people have infilt-
rated in Bengal through the 543 km unfenced border between India and Bang-ladesh, these people have been used by the TMC as a veritable vote bank… now a time has come that these names have to be struck out from the voters’ list.”
Union Minister and senior State BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar too said that “TMC in Bengal thrives by its fake and infiltrated voters, once this is out, the TMC will be out too, the ECI will definitely ensure that the voters’ lists are cleaned before the elections and only the genuine voters get a chance to vote.”
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Wednesday strongly condemned the commencing of the SIR process citing natural calamity and festive seasons. “This is very difficult for the people to take part in the SIR process when most of their belongings are gone due to the natural calamity (flash floods in North Bengal)… the people are gradually coming to terms with this and the ECI is insisting on SIR which is not at all acceptable Chief Minister earlier said.
Referring to her statement Majumdar said that Mamata Banerjee’s statement itself proves that the TMC is afraid of SIR. “TMC is afraid of SIR virus… but we will give them the BJP vaccine and they will be cured and go to retirement,” he said.
The TMC hit back saying, the saffron leaders’ statements go on to prove the BJP’s “dictatorial ways.”
TMC spokesperson Arup Chakrabarty said, “Suvendu Adhikari is putting the number of deletion to one crore … this proves that they are afraid … they are not sure about their victory without deleting the names of genuine voters … but rest them assured the TMC will not leave an inch of land without a fight … we will not let them delete names like this and … they will be defeated any way … perhaps their seat will come down from 77 last time to less than 50 this time.”
