‘I will go to court again’: Mamata Banerjee files nomination from Bhabanipur, says will raise voter deletion issue
The more than 27 lakh voters whose names were deleted from the electoral rolls after adjudication should be given voting rights, Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday filed her nomination for the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency and said she would approach the Supreme Court again over the lakhs of voters deleted from the voter lists in the state following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
“I am sad since the names of countless people have been deleted. Only 32 lakh names have been retained…this happened because I filed a case in the Supreme Court. Fifty-eight lakh voters were deleted in the first phase. I will go to court again for those whose names were deleted,” she said.
The total number of voters in poll-bound West Bengal has fallen to 6.77 crore from 7.66 crore—89 lakh people have been removed, a fall of 11.62 per cent—at the start of the SIR exercise, with the Election Commission of India releasing its final supplementary list after the adjudication process on Monday midnight.
Of the more than 27 lakh voters whose names were deleted from the election rolls after adjudication, more than 14 lakh will not be able to vote as the voter list for the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly polls has been frozen.
“More than 27 lakh voters who are under adjudication are yet to be retained in the electoral list. I am of the opinion that they should be given voting rights. The Supreme Court has also said that those under adjudication are genuine voters. People who are yet to be retained will appeal to the tribunal. What is the point of keeping the process frozen? We will take necessary actions,” Banerjee said.
A huge crowd gathered on the streets as TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee walked from her residence at Harish Chatterjee Street to reach Survey Building at Alipore to file her nomination. (Express photo by Partha Paul)
Calling Bhabanipur her “karmabhoomi”, Banerjee said, “I stay here 365 days. I extend my warm greetings to the people of Bhabanipur. I have filed my nomination to contest from this seat. I appeal to the people of Bengal to vote for AITC [All India Trinamool Congress] candidates in all 294 seats. I am sure that we will form the government.”
Banerjee will contest against BJP leader and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari in Bhabanipur. In the last Assembly election in 2021, he had defeated Banerjee in Nandigram by 1,946 votes. Later, she was elected from Bhabanipur following a bypoll.
Around 10.30 am on Wednesday, Banerjee started walking from her residence at Harish Chatterjee Street to reach Survey Building at Alipore to file her nomination. She was accompanied by Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Firhad Hakim, his wife Ismat Hakim, Jayprakash Majumder, Kajari Banerjee and other leaders.
The proposers in her nomination form included Ismat Hakim, actress-turned-politician and TMC Rajya Sabha MP Koel Mallick’s husband, Nispal Singh Rane, local TMC block president Bablu Singh and Bhabanipur Education Society representative Miraj Shah.
Assembly elections will be held in two phases in West Bengal, on April 23 and April 29. The results will be announced on May 4.
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
A huge crowd gathered on the streets as TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee walked from her residence at Harish Chatterjee Street to reach Survey Building at Alipore to file her nomination. (Express photo by Partha Paul)