Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced plans to move court against the special intensive revision of electoral rolls, alleging deaths, fear, and harassment linked to the exercise. She made the statement during a public meeting at Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas.
Banerjee said the revision process caused distress among residents, especially elderly and ill persons. She alleged administrative arbitrariness during verification drives. According to her remarks, fear linked to the exercise led to several deaths across the state, while others required hospital care.
The chief minister said legal action would begin the next day. She added plans to approach the Supreme Court as a citizen. She referred to her legal training while outlining the challenge. She did not specify whether the case would be filed by her personally, the state government, or the Trinamool Congress.
Banerjee criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party and accused it of discrimination against Bengali speaking people outside West Bengal. She said identity checks targeted vulnerable groups. She cited the killing of a migrant worker from West Bengal in neighbouring Odisha as part of a wider pattern of hostility.
Raising questions during the address, Banerjee asked how political leaders would react if elderly parents faced similar verification queues. She linked anxiety from the revision drive to reported deaths since the process began.
The Election Commission released draft electoral rolls last month. Around 58.8 lakh names were removed. Official sources earlier cited 24.18 lakh deceased voters still listed and 12.01 lakh voters listed as untraceable. The Trinamool Congress has demanded a halt to the exercise and sent a letter seeking corrections. The Commission has yet to issue a response.
