Kolkata: In West Bengal, political heat is at its peak regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) i.e. special revision of the voter list. After the meeting between the Election Commission and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday, the BJP directly attacked the Mamata Banerjee government. The party said that the Chief Minister herself is putting immense pressure on the BLO (Booth Level Officer) so that the infiltrator voters cannot be identified. At the same time, the Congress leader has alleged tampering in the voter list.
Election Commission serious on BLO’s performance, seeks report from CEO Manoj Verma
Taking serious note of the November 24 protest by a group of BLOs over the excessive workload associated with the ongoing SIR exercise in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, the Election Commission on Wednesday sought a report from Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma within 48 hours. However, CM Mamata Banerjee supported the protesting booth level officers and said that their demands were justified. Questioned why it took 48 hours for the CEO to listen to him. In a letter to Verma, the EC described the protests as a serious security breach. He said that the current security in the CEO’s office did not seem sufficient to handle the situation. The letter signed by EC Secretary Sujit Kumar Mishra states that such incidents can threaten the safety and security of the CEO, Additional CEO, Joint CEO, Deputy CEO and other officers and staff.
Mamta called Bengal CEO a small leader
Targeting Bengal CEO Manoj Aggarwal, Mamata called him a ‘small leader’. He said, ‘You (BLOs) should not commit suicide because life is very precious. Still, he had no mercy and it took 48 hours to meet the BLOs and listen to them. Look at the courage of a small leader!’ Referring to the deaths of BLOs in Gujarat and MP, he asked why the government is in such a hurry to get the SIR done?
After the meeting with the Election Commission, BJP has claimed that ₹18,000 was to be paid to the BLO for SIR, but the state government has deliberately withheld the money. At the same time, after the meeting with the Election Commission, Union Minister Giriraj Singh made a sharp attack on Mamata’s old statement ‘We will shake the country’. He asked, ‘What does it mean to shake the country? That means you will become a terrorist? There is a constitutional system. If Mamata believes that Bengal is now Bangladesh and she is the Prime Minister, then this is sheer madness.
Mamta will not be able to save her seat!
Leader of Opposition in Bengal Suvendu Adhikari said, ‘After SIR, lakhs of Bangladeshi infiltrators have been left out of the voter list. Now if elections are held democratically, Mamata Banerjee will not be able to save her seat. This government will go. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, targeting the opposition, said, ‘Those who want to stop the identification of fake voters are a threat to democracy. On one side we are the protectors of the religious flag, on the other side are infiltrator protectors.
Congress stand
Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari has issued a statement on the conflict regarding the SIR issued in Bengal. He said, ‘The full credit of SIR goes to Rahul Gandhi, who exposed this issue by doing research. Due to this, BJP is benefiting in the assembly elections, but Mamata is with us and the entire India alliance is with her.
Bengal politics heats up on SIR
SIR has now become the biggest weapon before the 2026 assembly elections in Bengal. On one hand, BJP is calling it a mission to drive out Bangladeshi infiltrators, while TMC is calling it a conspiracy to scare Bengali and minority voters. The coming days are going to heat up the politics of Bengal further.
