Mamata Banerjee accuses BJP of attempting to enrol outsiders as voters

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday wrote to chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, alleging the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s “large-scale” attempts to enrol outsiders as voters ahead of the West Bengal assembly polls next month. West Bengal chief Mamata Banerjee. (X)She cited credible reports indicating that BJP agents submitted a large number of Form 6 applications for the enrolment across districts. “These do not seem to be routine applications for voter inclusion but a mischievous ploy to include non-residents in the electoral roll,” Banerjee wrote to Kumar. “There are serious concerns that these applications may pertain to individuals who are not genuine residents of Bengal and have no legitimate connection to the state. Similar patterns were reportedly observed prior to elections in Bihar, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Delhi,” she wrote. On Monday, ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) lawmaker Abhishek Banerjee led a delegation that met Kumar and raised similar allegations. He alleged that at least 30,000 Form 6s were submitted between 11am and 6pm on Monday to enrol voters from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh as voters in West Bengal. The BJP wrote to state chief electoral officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal, accusing Banerjee of making inflammatory and intimidatory speeches at election rallies. It pointed out a consistently troubling pattern of rhetoric aimed at instilling fear and coercing voters, posing a threat to free, fair, and peaceful elections. The BJP cited Mamata Banerjee’s “public threats” and said the state police force has become mere passive spectators, resulting in the perpetrators being emboldened to carry out violence. It asked for barring her from campaigning. The BJP urged the poll panel to deploy additional central forces in the state and more officers from outside the state as observers. On March 25, Mamata Banerjee said she respects central forces, but added she saw them carrying the BJP’s flag in Bankura. “It never happened in the past. I am giving a responsibility to all mothers and daughters [women]. The youth will guard the EVMs [electronic voting machines] and the polling booths. The women will have to be on guard on the polling day until the EVMs reach the strongroom. Also guard on the counting day,” Banerjee said at Naxalbari. The BJP alleged that Banerjee made similar speeches during the 2021 assembly polls, which were marred by violence. The Calcutta high court ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation probe and set up a Special Investigation Team to look into violence.