West Bengal Assembly Elections: Roll ‘glitch’ a poll plank now, Mamata Banerjee says women targeted

Kolkata: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday kept up her attack on the BJP and the Centre, accusing them of undermining democracy, attempting to push the NRC, and trying to divide the state. She flagged concerns after a large number of voters in Bengal were shown as “under adjudication” late Tuesday night, questioning whether it was a “technical glitch or an attempt to erase names.”

This came after the Election Commission of India‘s portal reportedly developed a major technical issue, displaying many voters – whose names figured in the 2026 final roll – as “under adjudication.”

“They are taking away the voting rights of the people today. Tomorrow, they will implement the NRC and set up detention camps. This will not happen as long as I am alive. My next generation will not allow it either,” Banerjee said.

She claimed that around eight lakh names had been deleted in the first supplementary list from the 27 lakh electors whose eligibility was examined during the SIR exercise.

At her first election rally in Maynaguri in North Bengal, Banerjee alleged that the ECI, in collusion with the BJP, had selectively targeted women voters during the SIR process. She also assured that the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme would continue as long as the Trinamool Congress remains in power.

Banerjee also addressed rallies in Naxalbari and Dabgram-Fulbari, covering parts of Jalpaiguri, the Dooars in Darjeeling district, and Siliguri.
She criticised the timing of the supplementary list’s release, saying it was done at midnight in line with the BJP’s “tandav” style of functioning. “BJP executes its sinister plans late at night,” she said.”After living in this land for so many years, we now have to prove that we are citizens of this country? How dare you call us foreigners after generations of us living here?” she said, adding, “They have taken everything from me; I have only one thing left – the power of the people.”

“First, prove whether you yourselves are citizens of this country, and then ask others to prove theirs,” she added. “We attained Independence at midnight, and we are proud of it. But today, they have forgotten its value. They are not following the Constitution or democracy,” she said.

Banerjee further alleged that apart from women, members of the Rajbanshi community were also targeted, with their names struck off the rolls. She urged women to resist, claiming people had to queue for hours for SIR hearings and that at least 220 people died in the process.