In a sharp escalation of Bengal’s political battle, BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of attempting to undermine the Election Commission (EC) and shielding what he calls an “illicit vote-bank” nurtured by the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
Adhikari’s strongly worded letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar came hours after Mamata Banerjee wrote to the EC, criticising the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and describing the exercise as chaotic and coercive.
Adhikari Hits Back With Four-Page Rebuttal
Responding late Thursday, Adhikari called the CM’s letter “misleading, politically motivated and factually distorted.”
According to him, Banerjee’s objections are a desperate bid to derail a voter list clean-up that threatens her party’s political base.
He accused the Chief Minister of trying to “sow discord among election officials, discredit the EC’s constitutional mandate and protect ineligible voters.”
Adhikari further alleged that Mamata Banerjee is intimidating booth-level officers and making unacceptable insinuations against the CEC — behaviour he said “must be condemned.”
‘SIR Is Not New — Mamata Benefited From It Before’
Countering the CM’s claim that the SIR is chaotic, Adhikari argued that such revisions have been a routine part of the EC’s functioning since the 1950s.
He pointed out that Mamata herself contested and won the 2004 Lok Sabha election on electoral rolls updated during the 2003 revision.
“Will she now question the legitimacy of her own victory?” he wrote.
Claims of Bogus Voters, Forged Documents
Reiterating long-standing allegations, Adhikari said he has already submitted details of 1.325 million “dubious” voter entries to the Chief Electoral Officer.
He alleged the presence of multiple enrolments, dead voters, and forged documents across the state.
To support his infiltration claims, he cited recent TV visuals showing individuals allegedly trying to return to Bangladesh to avoid detection during the SIR, some reportedly admitting on camera to possessing fake Indian documents facilitated by local TMC leaders.
“This is the rotten underbelly of TMC’s infiltration ecosystem,” he said — a charge the ruling party has consistently rejected as communal fearmongering.
References to Fake Voting, Disabled CCTV Cameras
Adhikari also pointed to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, alleging that CCTV cameras in several booths were deliberately disabled to enable bogus voting.
He cited the Calcutta High Court order disqualifying Mukul Roy as MLA as further evidence of “systemic malpractice.”
‘State Blocking Funds for BLOs’
The BJP leader further accused the state’s Finance Department of withholding funds meant for booth-level officers and data-entry operators, calling it a “petty tactic” to create chaos and shift blame onto the EC.
Calls on EC to ‘Stand Firm’ Ahead of 2026 Elections
Urging the Election Commission to remain steadfast, Adhikari requested additional resources to ensure the SIR process is completed “smoothly and fearlessly,” stressing that the people of Bengal want a clean and credible voter list ahead of the 2026 assembly polls.
The Trinamool Congress has not yet responded to Adhikari’s allegations.
