Kolkata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday criticised the Election Commission of India and the Bharatiya Janata Party over large-scale deletions from the electoral rolls, asserting that her party would once again approach the courts to challenge the move.

Her remarks come in the wake of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, after which nearly 91 lakh names were removed from the voter list. According to official figures, over 90.83 lakh electors were struck off from a total voter base of 7.66 crore recorded in October 2025, amounting to more than 11.85 per cent of the electorate.

Addressing a rally in Arambagh in Hooghly district, Banerjee said the Trinamool Congress would not be weakened by such measures. She alleged that the deletions were aimed at influencing the electoral outcome and accused the BJP of attempting to manipulate the voter rolls while luring voters with inducements.

“We will go to court again to resist the exclusion of names,” she said, adding that her party would fight to ensure that eligible voters are reinstated in accordance with constitutional provisions. She also questioned the rationale behind freezing the electoral rolls if voters were being denied the right to cast their ballots.

Banerjee had earlier moved the Supreme Court in February, seeking intervention in the SIR process.

The Trinamool Congress chief further alleged that the Election Commission was acting under the influence of the BJP and accused it of intimidating voters through phone calls — a charge she said undermines public confidence in the electoral system.

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Later, at another rally in Balagarh in the same district, she warned voters against supporting the BJP, claiming that a change in power could affect cultural and lifestyle choices in the state.