Had Mamata Banerjee worked with ECI, SIR wouldn’t be so complicated: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

Murshidabad (Baharampur): Five-term MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is the Congress candidate from his home turf of Baharampur. Chowdhury (70) is contesting the upcoming assembly election after three decades. In an interview with ET, he speaks on multiple issues — from Mamata Banerjee using the SIR as a political tool, the deletion of voter names, Congress going solo this time to the party’s poll prospects in Malda and Murshidabad. Chowdhury had contested his first assembly election in 1991 from Nabagram, which was known as the ‘Vietnam of Murshidabad’ by the then ruling Left workers.

What are your views on Bengal SIR and deletion of names?

With adjudication and deletion of so many voter names, mostly in Malda and Murshidabad, the ECI is responsible…but the responsibility also lies with Mamata Banerjee. Had Mamata Banerjee cooperated with the ECI during Bengal’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the situation would not have been so complicated. With her BDOs, AEROs and EROs working during SIR, she ensured that the system became more complicated. Then, she went to the Supreme Court, wearing a black coat, trying to portray herself as an advocate. But, it complicated the SIR situation even more. Common people have been affected and their names were deleted in large numbers. Mamata Banerjee wanted to portray herself as a saviour.

How do you see Mamata role in Bengal SIR?

It was Mamata Banerjee government’s failure to handle SIR. Instead of sensitising people, she wanted the problem to persist. Banerjee has failed in the fields of health, education and all other sectors. So, she wanted to change the narrative towards “pro-SIR and no SIR. It is just her repetition of her NRC narrative. I think Mamata Banerjee did the same with the NRC narrative-“NRC or no NRC” in the previous election. Banerjee has played with the Muslims in the name of SIR. Voting is the constitutional right of the common people. Why should people suffer? People have been running from pillar to post only to enlist their names in the voters’ lists.

What do you think about Congress going solo this time?

Congress has decided to go alone this time. It has been discussed at the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) and at all other levels, following approval from the Delhi Observer. In the 294 assembly constituencies, Delhi wanted the Congress to fight alone. The presence of Congress in every booth should be felt or proven. I agree with what Delhi decided. Let us wait and see the results. In today’s situation, the party has decided to fight everywhere. The decision has been taken, considering the present situation. In Murshidabad, we are contesting in 22 seats. In 2016, I was in the PCC and thought an alliance with the Left Front was necessary. We did well at that time and were in the Opposition. Now, the political equation has changed. BJP has an electoral presence in Murshidabad.