Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said her party would again move court against the freezing of the voters’ list, lamenting the huge number of voters deleted in the special intensive revision of electoral rolls (SIR), as she filed her nomination papers for the Bhabanipur Assembly seat in Kolkata where she is up against challenger Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP.
A little less than 91 lakh voters in Bengal have been deleted in the Election Commission’s SIR process.
"I am really pained that so many names have been deleted from the electoral rolls. I fail to understand why the voter lists have been frozen. We will again move court against it," Mamata said.
She marched from her residence in south Kolkata’s Kalighat to file her nomination papers amid a sea of supporters raising slogans.
The three-time MLA from Bhabanipur, with folded hands and her trademark smile, greeted party workers and supporters lined up on both sides of the road as she walked around 800 metres to the Alipore Survey Building to file her papers.
Among those likely to sign her nomination papers were Rubi Hakim, wife of Kolkata mayor and Trinamool big gun Firhad Hakim, TMC Ward 71 block president Bablu Singh, and Miraj Shah of the Bhabanipur Education Society.
The ruling party sought to portray through Mamata’s march the image of Bhabanipur as a mini-India and a symbol of Bengal's inclusive identity. Gujarati businessmen, Bengali families, Punjabi households and Muslim residents have lived side by side in Bhabanipur for decades.
"I was born and brought up here in Bhabanipur only. Everything in my life began from here," Mamata told reporters after filing her nomination papers.
"I would appeal to the people, not just in Bhabanipur but across all 294 seats, to ensure the victory of our candidates. We will win with a bigger mandate."
The Trinamool had won 215 seats in the 2021 state polls and its size in the Assembly is even bigger after consequent bypolls.
The elections to the 294-member Bengal Assembly will be held in two phases on April 23 and 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.