At a high-voltage poll rally in Bankura and later in Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a sharp and sweeping attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), branding it a “barbaric party” and accusing it of targeting Bengali-speaking migrants across the country. Addressing a charged crowd, Banerjee alleged that migrants from Bengal are being harassed and mistreated in BJP-ruled states. Her remarks added a strong emotional and cultural dimension to an already intense election campaign in the state.
‘Consider me your candidate’
In an appeal to voters, Banerjee urged people to look beyond individual candidates and instead rally behind her leadership. “Consider me your candidate in all 294 constituencies,” she declared, positioning herself as the central face of the electoral battle. The statement underscores her attempt to consolidate voter support under a unified leadership narrative as West Bengal heads into assembly elections scheduled for April 23 and April 29.
Banerjee’s remarks come a day after senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari filed nominations from key constituencies, including Nandigram where he defeated her in 2021 and Bhabanipur. The developments have intensified the political contest, with both sides sharpening their rhetoric and campaign strategies.
Allegations of voter roll manipulation
A major part of Banerjee’s speech focused on alleged irregularities in voter enrolment. Citing inputs from her nephew and party leader Abhishek Banerjee, she claimed that around 30,000 voter applications were submitted in a single day.
She accused the BJP of attempting to “import voters” from states like Bihar, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh to influence the electoral outcome in Bengal. “The BJP is planning to transport outstation voters using railways, just as they did in Bihar,” she alleged.
Mamata’s serious allegations against ECI
In a significant escalation, Banerjee accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of acting in tandem with the BJP. “The BJP and EC are snatching away democratic and constitutional rights,” she said, alleging targeted deletions and additions in voter lists.
She also wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, warning of a “grave conspiracy” to manipulate the electoral process. Banerjee alleged that BJP workers were caught submitting thousands of fraudulent Form 6 applications to include non-residents in Bengal’s voter rolls.
Calling it “voter hijacking,” she linked the alleged tactics to similar patterns in past elections in other states. She further claimed that over 60 lakh genuine applications are still pending, while questionable bulk entries are being fast-tracked.
“This is not routine processing it is a direct assault on free and fair elections,” she said. Sharpening her ideological attack, Banerjee warned that a BJP government in Bengal would impose cultural restrictions and controversial policies.
She claimed the party could enforce bans on non-vegetarian food and attempt to introduce the NRC (National Register of Citizens) “through the backdoor,” potentially leading to detention camps for targeted groups.
