TMC readies for Bengal SIR; Abhishek Banerjee asks party workers not to leave BLOs unattended 'for even a minute'

Kolkata: The TMC on Friday asked its workers to stay on alert and keep "constant watch" on booth-level officers (BLOs) during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, with party leader Abhishek Banerjee saying not a single BLO should be left "unattended for even a minute." Addressing a closed-door virtual meeting of nearly 18,000 party functionaries from across the state, the TMC national general secretary alleged that the BJP was using the SIR process to "silently rig" the upcoming elections.

Describing the next six months as the party's "acid test," he claimed the voter list revision, announced on October 27, was being conducted at the BJP's behest to manipulate the rolls ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.

"The BJP’s goal is not to identify infiltrators. If that were true, they would have done the same exercise in Assam, Meghalaya or Tripura. This is a political operation aimed at deleting genuine voters," Banerjee was quoted as saying by party insiders.

"That's why I am directing you all to maintain constant vigilance. BLOs should not be left unattended for even a minute," he said.

Banerjee also directed Booth Level Agents (BLA-1s) in each district to appoint BLA-2s who will accompany BLOs during door-to-door verification to ensure transparency.

"BLA-2 will act as a shadow companion to the BLO. It must be ensured that no name is unfairly deleted, and all forms are submitted by November 3," he said, calling this phase an "acid test" for the party's grassroots organisation.

"If even one eligible voter's name is removed, one lakh people from Bengal will hold a dharna outside the Election Commission office in New Delhi," Banerjee warned, reiterating his earlier statement made this week.

He added that the party would take both legal and political steps to expose what he termed "Silent Invisible Rigging" (SIR).

"As you all know, on BJP's instructions, the Election Commission announced the SIR on October 27 in Bengal. After Bihar's SIR, we said it stands for Silent Invisible Rigging. The Trinamool Congress will fight it in court, in Parliament and on the streets," Banerjee asserted.

The meeting, also addressed by TMC state president Subrata Bakshi, was convened to chalk out the party's strategy for the voter list revision and coordinate the campaign across all districts, blocks and booths.

Party insiders said it was held behind closed doors to allow candid discussions and planning.

Banerjee announced that starting November 4, the TMC would set up 6,200 voter assistance camps across 2,861 municipal wards and 3,345 gram panchayats to help people verify their names, submit claims and objections, and report irregularities.

"Each camp will have laptops, printers and Wi-Fi, operating from 9 am to 5 pm for a month. The message must be clear in people's hour of need, only the Trinamool Congress stood by them," Banerjee said.

The party's voter outreach will continue in phases till January 31, with MPs and MLAs instructed to create "war rooms" in each of the 294 Assembly constituencies.

Each war room, Banerjee said, would have 15 members — 10 coordinating with BLA-2s and five handling data entry.

"Any issue must be immediately escalated to the MLA or MP. If there's a serious problem, it should be reported directly to me via WhatsApp," he said.

The TMC leader claimed that discrepancies had already been detected in several districts, particularly in North 24 Parganas, Nadia and Cooch Behar.

"We are matching online and hard copies of voter lists and will place the evidence before the court," he said, alleging that "thousands of genuine voters' names" were found missing in some areas.

He accused the BJP of attempting to divide Bengal through SIR and NRC.

"The BJP wants to divide Bengal and disenfranchise minorities, Matuas and poor voters. We must send a strong message that the Trinamool Congress stands firmly with the people," he told party workers, announcing that he would soon begin district visits to oversee the campaign himself.

Citing recent deaths allegedly linked to panic over voter list exclusions, Banerjee said, "One tragic incident after another is coming to light. In Panihati, a person died by suicide out of fear and anxiety, leaving behind a note. Similar incidents occurred in Dinhata and Ilambazar." "Today, a 28-year-old woman named Kakoli Sarkar died by suicide in Titagarh. Such fear has no place in a democracy," he added.

He said the party would continue to pursue every democratic and legal avenue to ensure no eligible voter is disenfranchised.

"If genuine voters' names are deleted, we will not remain silent. We will draw the court's attention and also launch a major movement in Delhi to ensure justice," Banerjee said.

"This is not just a political issue but a democratic one. We will fight this both on the ground and in court," a senior TMC functionary told PTI.

Banerjee said the party's Booth and Territorial Electoral Review Systems (BERS and TERS) had already been activated to prevent manipulation during the revision. "Knowing what the BJP is capable of, we had already set up BERS and TERS. Now it's time to put them into full action," he said.