– Shabana Javed
Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has issued a strong warning against any attempts to remove names from the state’s voter list. Addressing a mammoth rally at Dharmatala here today, she declared the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections as a battle between the BJP’s “Padmaphul” and TMC’s “Joraphul,” emphasising that the voter list will be at the centre of this political war.
Citing the recent removal of 41 lakh names in Bihar’s voter list, Mamata expressed deep concern that similar actions may be attempted in Bengal.
“If anyone’s name is removed in Bengal, we will surround them. I will not allow this to happen,” she asserted, vowing to resist what she called “terrorism against the Bengali language.”
This statement comes in response to BJP leaders, including state opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari, demanding the removal of so-called “illegal infiltrators” from the electoral roll. They claimed that names of Rohingya Muslims and Bangladeshi infiltrators are present in large numbers.
“Some are claiming 17 lakh Rohingyas in Bengal, while UN data says there are only 10-13 lakh worldwide. Where did this number come from?” Mamata asked.
She termed the BJP’s rhetoric as an attempt to target Bangla-speaking Muslims and minority communities.
TMC leaders say this is a ploy by the BJP to polarise voters and strip minorities of their democratic rights by labelling them as ‘outsiders’. For over a month, TMC has been actively protesting against alleged discrimination toward Bengali speakers in BJP-ruled states like Odisha, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh.
Mamata claimed that central directives had asked states to detain individuals merely suspected of being Bengali speakers and place them in detention camps. She strategically sharpened the narrative around Bengali identity, an issue that has resonated since the 2021 Assembly elections.
Mamata also instructed TMC cadres to safeguard the voter list from any manipulation until nominations are filed. “No name can be removed from the list,” she declared. TMC’s internal survey – conducted by its party machinery and supported by the advisory body AIPAC – has been monitoring the situation for the past four months.
Another major concern raised was the status of migrant workers. Mamata appealed to workers living outside Bengal to return home, promising work opportunities in the state. TMC fears that migrant workers, 85% of whom are minorities, may be deliberately excluded from the voter roll. Their absence during elections could also weaken TMC’s core support base.
