Chakdaha, April 7: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday launched a fresh attack on the BJP-led Centre, alleging large-scale and “selective” deletion of voters’ names across several districts, and vowed not to allow “a single person to be driven out of Bengal”, framing the upcoming Assembly elections as a decisive battle to “save identity, democracy and honour.”
Addressing a charged election rally in Chakdaha in support of Trinamool Congress candidate Subhankar Sinha, Banerjee said, “Many names have been omitted in Murshidabad, Malda, North Dinajpur, South 24 Parganas and Nadia. They have selectively removed names. In Bagda, names of Matuas have been omitted. The same has happened in Gaighata, Chakdah and Haringhata.” Her remarks come amid intensifying political confrontation over allegations of voter list manipulation ahead of the polls.
Assuring to stand with all the voters in their time of distress and identity crisis Mamata in striking emotive chord declared, “I am telling you, I will not let a single person be driven out of Bengal”. Accusing the centre and Election Commission for their highhandedness in the name of ensuring security and free election, Mamata said, “On one hand, names are being deleted. On the other, lakhs of Central forces are being deployed. We must be allowed to live and earn our food.”
Banerjee in her 17 minutes speech at the Mashra ground near the Chakdaha-Banagram road, sharpened her attack by urging voters to decisively reject the BJP at the ballot box. “BJP must be nullified in Bengal. Not a single vote should go to them. This time, the vote is to save your address, democracy, language — a fight to save honour,” she said, elevating the electoral contest into a larger ideological and cultural struggle.
Referring to recent incidents of violence, the Chief Minister alleged that lives were being lost amid the ongoing SIR exercise. “Three people died yesterday. They were killed — from Murshidabad and Keshpur. I protest against this. Around two and a half hundred people have died while going for SIR exercise. Look at them — some names are included, some are not. They are your neighbours,” she said, invoking both anger and solidarity among voters.
In a pointed appeal, Banerjee called upon people to respond through democratic means – befitting reply to BJP so that the saffron party is wiped out from the state. “They have made you stand in
line. Now you stand in the voting queue and take revenge for this insult. Vote one by one through democracy. Take revenge one by one so that Bengal cannot be occupied in the future,” she asserted.
Her remarks reflect the Trinamool Congress’ broader campaign strategy of consolidating regional identity and countering the BJP’s narrative by raising concerns over voter disenfranchisement, deployment of central forces, and alleged political violence. With Chakdaha and adjoining areas witnessing a keen electoral contest, Banerjee’s speech underscored the high stakes involved, as both sides intensify efforts to mobilise support in what is shaping up to be a fiercely polarised battle for Bengal.
Reacting sharply to the Chief Minister’s remarks, a senior BJP leader from Nadia alleged that Mamata Banerjee’s “body language clearly suggests her days in power are numbered.”
“She has lost her composure and sense of logic, and is now desperately attempting to incite tension. She did not even refrain from provoking women, in particular, to symbolically attack Central forces personnel with brooms. The Election Commission should take serious cognisance of such statements and initiate appropriate legal action,” the BJP leader said.