Mamata Banerjee has instructed both her party and the administration to strictly obey the Supreme Court ruling — which she and Trinamool Congress consider a victory — on the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) in poll-bound Bengal so as to ensure minimal voter deletions over “logical discrepancies”, party sources have said.
“She has a roadmap for everything the party needs to do organisationally to complete the rest of the SIR processes satisfactorily,” said a source in her party. “She has also been taking legal counsel for any further manoeuvre, if necessary, at the Supreme Court. We are at the critical and final leg of this, and no stone must be left unturned to make sure this lands more in our favour by the end of it than the BJP’s.”
Mamata is yet to react in public to the apex court’s Monday order to publish the list of logical discrepancies, but sources said she was “very pleased”.
During her unscheduled participation in an administrative meeting on Tuesday, she told multiple district magistrates that the administration must ensure that the EC obeys the SC ruling and “not even one” valid voter is excluded, especially based on the controversial “logical discrepancies”.
“She said she was watching closely, and those not complying would be held accountable.... She also did say she would unwaveringly stand by the officials and protect them from the EC's ire,” said a senior Trinamool MLA privy to the developments of the meeting, which chief secretary Nandini Chakravorty convened in the wake of the Monday ruling.
Mamata made a “surprise entry for about 10-15 minutes” at the meeting, the leader said.
“She also said three-four district magistrates were working to help the EC and the BJP-led Centre and warned (them) against such mistakes as they would have to report to the state government once the poll panel's superintendence ends.”
A source in Trinamool said similar instructions had gone out from her to the party’s leadership in the districts.
“She will personally take to task whoever falls short in this or makes mistakes, deliberate or not. Everyone has to go into perform-or-perish mode,” he said.
“There have been some lapses and reluctance at SIR hearings, even two days after the Supreme Court cracked the whip, to implement its instructions. She will have none of it,” he added. “What is the point of such a major judicial victory if it isn’t followed in the actual proceedings, she has said.”
Her nephew and party MP Abhishek Banerjee’s mega strategy meeting for the SIR, with over one lakh participants, would take place on Saturday now, instead of Thursday, said a source.
Interim budget
The Mamata Banerjee government would present its interim budget this election year on February 2 at the Assembly.
Speaker Biman Banerjee said the budget session of the Assembly would begin on January 31, and the interim budget for the state would be presented on February 2. This would be a day after the Union budget is presented by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament.
This Assembly session will be brief, scheduled to end on February 5.
The winter session of the Assembly was not held this time because of the SIR, hence several pending bills might also be passed during this session, said sources.
