Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday feared that 1.2 crore voters would be removed from Bengal’s electoral rolls, to be published on February 28, and vowed to stand by all legitimate voters irrespective of political affiliation or religion.

A Supreme Court order has, however, paved the way for supplementary lists with additional names to be published after February 28, once judicial officers have greenlighted these voters from the pending “logical discrepancies” lists.

“First, 58 lakh names were removed (as absent, shifted, dead or duplicate). After that, secretly, under a rule that did not previously exist, under the name of ‘logical
discrepancy’, not 50 lakh but 80 lakh names will be deleted,” Mamata said.

Mamata added: “Even if we assume that 20 lakh of them are dead, some 1 crore and 20 lakh names (of the living) will be removed.”

The chief minister, who was addressing an event organised by the Jain community in Bhowanipore, said she was “saddened” by the deletions.

Union minister of state and former state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said Mamata’s comments reflected her fear of failing to protect “infiltrators”. He accused her of trying to spread panic.

“First of all, she has understood that her efforts to save the infiltrators on the voters’ list will be unsuccessful. More important, she has been trying to create an environment of fear among Bengal’s voters before the rolls are published,” Majumdar said.

“Who said there would be no further inclusions after February 28? Even she knows that as the verification continues, supplementary lists will be released till the elections. The BJP does not want any bona fide voter removed, but it also wants to ensure that no infiltrator or ineligible voter remains on the list.”

Mamata highlighted her fight in the Supreme Court against what she termed an incorrect SIR process, and promised to stand by all genuine voters.

“I have gone to the Supreme Court and fought the matter. My petition is still pending.... I do not know how many names will be on the list that will be published on February 28,” she said.

“I want humanity. I will not see who is from Trinamool, who is from BJP, who is from CPM, who is Hindu, who is Muslim, who is Jain, or who is Christian. I will ensure that democracy is not destroyed and that people’s rights are protected. Whoever’s name is struck off, I will stand against that removal.”

Mamata expressed concern that five days after the apex court order to have judicial officers examine and decide the eligibility of those on the “logical discrepancies” list, the process had not started.

“I do not know how much sorrow those people will feel whose names do not appear when the list is published on the 28th,” she said.

Reacting to Mamata’s claim about the impending deletion of 1.2 crore names, an Election Commission official said he “did not understand what the chief minister meant to say”.

“The list is yet to be published. The SIR process is still on. If the chief minister has some specific complaints, she should raise them before the EC,” the official said.

Mamata knows that once the rolls have been published, the BJP will launch a campaign highlighting the large number of deletions as vindication of its politics, a Trinamool source said. She has therefore started preparing the ground for the political battle to counter it.

“She has made it clear that she will fight for those whose names are struck off, irrespective of politics or religion. That means the party will single out every case and help them prove they are genuine voters,” the source said.

“Our party will certainly stand by all those whose names do not feature in the final list. Remember, how the party had opened camps in all the booths to help people during the first round of the SIR? It will similarly stand by every genuine voter whose name is excluded.”

BJP leaders like Suvendu Adhikari have repeatedly said that the removal of 58 lakh names in the first round was just the “breakfast”, suggesting that the final list will see far larger deletions.

“Trinamool is now preparing itself to reach out to the people once the final rolls are published,” the source said.