For the third consecutive day, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew and party leader Abhishek Banerjee have accused the Election Commission of orchestrating a procedural coup through the alleged misuse of Form 6, claiming that the BJP is illegally inducting outsiders into voter lists via mass submissions of Form 6A.
In a significant development, Mamata Banerjee welcomed the Supreme Court’s recent intervention, which she described as a breakthrough in resolving the ongoing voter list logjam. However, she simultaneously issued a stark warning, suggesting that a “new setup” of poll officers, handpicked by the Election Commission, has been tasked with rejecting Trinamool Congress nominations.
Addressing rallies in Birbhum and Murshidabad, the Chief Minister characterized the administrative reshuffles at Nirvachan Sadan as a BJP-driven trap. “Everything has changed. It’s a new setup here. The newly appointed officers are entrusted to reject your nominations. Be cautious… take lawyers with you when you go to file papers,” she advised at Nanoor in Birbhum.
Her comments coincided with the Supreme Court questioning the Election Commission about the sudden appearance of new names on the voter list just days before the elections. Justice Joymalya Bagchi expressed concern over how names of individuals who turned 18 just a day prior could be included at this stage, implying possible irregularities.
Mamata Banerjee expressed satisfaction with the Court’s stance, stating, “Today I am happy. The Supreme Court has given a good verdict,” and criticized the BJP for attempting to insert outsider names into the voter list through Form 6 submissions.
She further claimed her legal efforts have prevented approximately 22 lakh names from being deleted from the State Election Register (SIR), although 18 lakh names remain uncertain. “They are picking names like one picks lice,” she remarked.
Targeting the BJP’s alleged communal agenda, Mamata accused the ruling party of deleting female voters’ names under the pretext of “logical discrepancies” following marriages. She alleged that Muslim voters’ names had been deliberately excluded, alongside Hindu voters, to serve a divisive agenda.
“We will provide free legal assistance to those affected in tribunals,” she added, emphasizing that the Supreme Court had mandated that tribunal appeals be heard during the first phase of voting.
At another rally in Jangipur, Mamata questioned the timing of the voter list revision, asking why the SIR was initiated just three months before the polls, and why Bengal appears to be specifically targeted. “The BJP is trying to suppress Bengal, but if Bengal resists, we will target Delhi,” she warned.
She urged voters to focus solely on the Trinamool symbol rather than individual candidates, asserting, “I am the candidate in each of the 294 seats. I am fighting to defeat the BJP. They are an anti-Bengali force.”
In a move to bolster legal preparations, the Trinamool Congress submitted a detailed representation to Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Sujoy Paul. The party requested decentralization of tribunal processes, including allowing physical appeal filings at the block level and ensuring affected voters are informed of reasons for exclusion to facilitate effective appeals.
The day concluded with Mamata’s helicopter retreating from a storm over Murshidabad, prompting a 42 km road journey. Despite the weather, she reached a rally ground in rain to declare, “The babus from Delhi will stay only for a month. Delhi’s feudal lords are not Bengal’s protectors. I am.”