Mamata Banerjee Accuses Election Commission of Deleting 54 Lakh Bengal Voters Without Hearing
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made serious allegations on Tuesday. She claimed that approximately 54 lakh voters in the state have been deleted from electoral rolls. These voters received no opportunity to defend themselves before removal.
"Even murderers get a hearing in court," Banerjee stated during a press conference at Nabanna. "But these 54 lakh people were deleted unilaterally."
Voters on ASD List Face Deletion
The Chief Minister referred specifically to voters placed on the Election Commission's absentee-shifted-dead list. She insisted that a "bulk" of these individuals are genuine voters. Many are married women who changed surnames or addresses after marriage.
Banerjee explained the practical difficulties for affected citizens. "People can fill Form 6 or Form 8," she said. "But no one knows who is on the deleted list. The EC has not shared this list with any political party."
She pointed out that the recently released draft voter list contains thousands of pages. "It is physically impossible for people to go through such massive lists," Banerjee emphasized.
Allegations of AI-Assisted Deletions and Targeting
The Chief Minister made explosive claims about the deletion process. She alleged that names were being removed using artificial intelligence. This activity supposedly occurred at the Election Commission's Delhi office.
"A BJP IT officer was present inside the CEO's office during these deletions," Banerjee alleged. She specifically mentioned that women voters faced targeting. Married women experienced particular vulnerability when their surnames or addresses changed.
Questions About Micro-Observers in Bengal
Banerjee raised concerns about special election arrangements in Bengal. She questioned why micro-observers were appointed only in her state. "Micro-observers are not allowed in any other state," she noted. "Why only Bengal?"
The Chief Minister called these observers "BJP's lackeys." She accused them of labeling hearing attendees as "anti-national." They allegedly marked "no evidence found" against names without providing proper receipts.
"People bring birth certificates, Aadhaar cards, domicile certificates, and PAN cards to hearings," Banerjee said. "Yet they are arbitrarily told they are not eligible."
Allegations of Voter Importation and Mass Deletions
The Chief Minister accused the BJP of planning massive voter manipulation. She claimed the party intends to delete voters in bulk while bringing outsiders to vote in Bengal.
"BJP plans to bring voters from Odisha, Bihar, and Jharkhand to vote in Bengal," Banerjee alleged. She further stated that names of 10,000 people per police station have been blacklisted from ERO and DM offices.
Criticism of SIR Hearing Process
Banerjee called the Summary Revision hearing process fundamentally flawed. She reported that lakhs of names among hearing attendees are being blocked and deleted. "This is a serious conspiracy," she declared.
The Chief Minister criticized the addition of "logical discrepancy" to the verification process. She claimed this criterion was not part of the original SIR process. It was apparently included later to increase deletions.
Banerjee made another startling allegation. She claimed the "BJP-EC nexus" plans to remove one crore more names from final electoral rolls.
Appeal to Rajbanshis and Matuas
The Chief Minister expressed her desire for all Rajbanshis and Matuas to vote. She advised them against relying on the provisional Citizenship Amendment Act.
"There is no need to write that you came from Bangladesh in 2024," Banerjee said. "The provisional CAA has no value. A different game is going on."
She urged community members to visit BLO offices, ERO offices, or DM offices. They should submit their names if deleted or check their voter status. "Make sure to take receipts of all documents you submit," Banerjee advised. "Do not depend on CAA because it is provisional."
