Kolkata, 27 February (H.S.): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using fake voters to manipulate elections. She alleged that the BJP had employed a similar strategy in Delhi and Maharashtra by adding voters from Haryana and Gujarat to secure victory, and now the same tactic is being used in Bengal.

Addressing the Trinamool Congress (TMC) state convention at Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata, Mamata Banerjee claimed that the BJP, with the help of the Election Commission, is tampering with the voter list. She also raised concerns over the appointment of the new Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that the BJP is attempting to influence the Election Commission.

She warned that if the discrepancies in the voter list are not rectified, the TMC will stage a protest outside the Election Commission’s office. “If I could go on a 26-day hunger strike against land acquisition in 2006, we can also launch a movement against the Election Commission. If necessary, we will hold an indefinite sit-in protest,” she declared.

Mamata Banerjee instructed party workers to start verifying the voter lists and alleged that fake names had been added with the support of the Election Commission. She directed booth-level workers to scrutinize the lists, and district presidents to oversee the process and submit a report within seven days.

Displaying a list as evidence, Mamata Banerjee claimed, “I have proof from all districts. Names of people from Haryana and Gujarat have been included in Bengal’s voter list. In many places, the same EPIC (Electors Photo Identity Card) number has been used for voters in different states. This is massive voter list manipulation.”

She further alleged that the BJP was particularly tampering with voter lists in constituencies where it had narrowly lost in the 2021 assembly elections.

Challenging the BJP, Mamata Banerjee stated, “Political parties in Delhi and Maharashtra failed to detect this, but we have caught it. Now the BJP is trying the same in Bengal, but we won’t let them succeed. ‘Khela Hobe’ once again! I urge our workers to fight even harder this time.”

She also criticized the Election Commission, saying, “I used to respect the Election Commission, but now it is filled with BJP loyalists. The new Chief Election Commissioner was previously Secretary of the Cooperation Department under the Union Home Ministry. If needed, we will protest outside the Election Commission’s office in Delhi as well.”

Mamata Banerjee directed TMC’s state president, Subrata Bakshi, to form a committee comprising Abhishek Banerjee, Derek O'Brien, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, and other MPs, MLAs, ministers, and party leaders to monitor voter list verification at the block level. She announced that the verification process would begin on Friday and be completed within ten days.

Hindusthan Samachar / S P Singh