Kolkata, 06 March (H.S.) : Political tensions are rising in West Bengal ahead of the proposed visit of the full bench of the Election Commission of India, with multiple parties launching protests over the controversy surrounding nearly 60 lakh pending names in the voter list.

The Commission’s full bench is scheduled to arrive in Kolkata on Sunday night for a two-day visit to review the state’s election preparedness. The delegation will be led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and will include Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

During the visit, the Commission is expected to hold meetings with senior state administrative officials as well as representatives of various political parties. Discussions will focus on the progress of the special intensive revision of the voter list and other preparations related to the upcoming elections.

Even before the Commission’s arrival, political activity has intensified over the issue of disputed and pending names in the electoral roll. Leaders and workers of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged a protest outside the office of the state’s Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal in Kolkata between Wednesday evening and Thursday.

Left parties have demanded that elections should not be announced until the status of nearly 60 lakh voters in the list is clarified.

Supporters of the Indian Secular Front also staged a demonstration on Thursday. Under the leadership of party leader Naushad Siddiqui, protesters gathered in large numbers demanding a thorough review of the voter list. Meanwhile, Humayun Kabir met the Chief Electoral Officer and submitted a memorandum raising concerns over the large number of pending voter names.

The most significant political move, however, is being taken by the ruling All India Trinamool Congress. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to stage a sit-in protest at the Metro Channel in Dharmatala in central Kolkata on Friday afternoon.

Preparations for the demonstration have already begun, with a large stage set up from Dorina Crossing to Gate No. 2 of the Esplanade Metro station. The scale of the arrangements has led to speculation that the protest could continue for more than one day, although the party has not officially confirmed its duration.

Meanwhile, the sudden resignation of West Bengal Governor C. V. Ananda Bose has further heated the political atmosphere in the state. R. N. Ravi, currently the Governor of Tamil Nadu, has been given additional charge of West Bengal.

Reacting to the development, Banerjee expressed surprise and hinted that the resignation might have been the result of pressure from the central government. Political observers believe the governor’s issue could also be raised during her protest.

While most parties have targeted the Election Commission over the voter list controversy, the Bharatiya Janata Party has largely stayed away from the confrontation. The party is currently focused on preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed rally at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata on March 14.

Amid a series of protests, demonstrations and large political programmes, West Bengal’s political landscape is heating up rapidly ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, with the streets of Kolkata increasingly becoming the centre of political mobilisation.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh