Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee — the top two leaders of the ruling Trinamool — are set to finalise the party’s strategy on the poll panel's proposed special intensive revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bengal with two back virtual meetings next week.
The meetings have been called following recent instructions from the Election Commission of India to Bengal's chief electoral officer Manoj Agarwal to begin SIR preparations.
A Trinamool source said the party has adopted a top-down approach. Mamata will hold a virtual meeting with all party MPs from the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha on August 4. A mega virtual meeting led by the party's national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, with around 9,000 leaders and party workers, from MPs to block presidents will be held on August 5.
“This is a top-down approach, with Didi instructing MPs to raise the issue at the national level, and Abhishek, as the commander, mobilising party leaders and workers across Bengal to oppose the proposed SIR and the BJP’s alleged motives in collusion with the EC,” said a Trinamool MP.
The source added that the party would take the SIR issue to the doorsteps of Bengal voters to highlight the EC's strategy of “mass exclusion” during the Bihar SIR allegedly for the BJP's gain.
Mamata is expected to brief MPs on how to position the SIR issue in Delhi, especially in light of recent complaints of torture, harassment and deportation of Bengali-speaking migrant workers.
Trinamool MPs are likely to join other parties from the INDIA bloc in staging a protest in front of the EC headquarters in Delhi on August 8.
“Although only Didi knows the exact agenda for her virtual meeting with MPs, we can assume the primary focus will be on the SIR,” said an MP. "She may also highlight the Bangla-Bengali issue."
Abhishek is likely to stress the prevention of politically motivated exclusions from the voter list.
“He is likely to ask the party to maintain full momentum over the next couple of months during the SIR to ensure not a single bona fide elector is removed,” said a leader close to Abhishek. “This is not the time to slow down for monsoon or Durga Puja."
Multiple sources said the EC might begin the Bengal SIR by August-end.
The EC has asked Bengal CEO Manoj Agarwal for a list of booth-level officers (BLOs) and parties for a list of booth-level agents (BLAs). For Trinamool, appointing BLAs during the SIR is critical, as they will accompany BLOs to visit voter homes.
Bengal BJP leaders like Samik Bhattacharya and Suvendu Adhikari have repeatedly said their party would ensure all ineligible voters — including the Rohingya and Bangladeshi Muslims — were removed from the rolls.
Detentions
Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday asked party's Bishnupur MLA Dilip Mondal to send a team to Mumbai immediately to help a group of Bengal migrant workers allegedly detained by the Maharashtra police on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals.