Will SIR boomerang on BJP with TMC’s early poll campaign? Mamata Banerjee’s strategy revealed
West Bengal’s SIR move triggers panic with voter turnout increasing by 66%. While the TMC has made an early campaign for the overhaul, the BJP has been alleging illegal influx into the border areas.
Mamata Banerjee, CM, West Bengal. (File Image)
Amid the deaths of three Cabin Level Officers and strong opposition from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Special Intensive Overhaul in West Bengal is in full swing. Even though the ruling party TMC was against the exercise carried out by the Election Commission of India (ECI), thousands of its workers protested across the state. They go door to door to help voters fill out the form, collect relevant paperwork, and deliver the form to the appropriate officials. With this, the Mamata Banerjee-led party reached out to the voters; They tell the people about the plans initiated by the government and ask them what more they want. This is in addition to the assistance they provide to voters in filling out SIR forms. Thus, TMC started its election campaign much earlier than anyone could have predicted. Call it turning the crisis into an opportunity, but TMC has already taken the lead.
SIR in West Bengal
SIR has created such turmoil in the state of West Bengal that the people in general are panicking and none of them want to stay behind or stay out of the voter list. According to data provided by ECI, the number of voters in the state has increased from 4.58 crore in 2002 to 7.63 crore now, or 66%. So 3.05 crore new voters will be added to the list.
(Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee opposed SIR.)
Increase in Bengal voter list
There are nine counties where voter turnout increased by 70% or more. Uttar Dinajpur recorded a growth of 105.49%. Other states where voter turnout increased:
- Maldah: 94.58%
- Murshidabad: 87.65%
- South 24 Parganas: 83.30%
- Jalpaiguri: 82.3%
- Cooch Behar: 82.3%
- North 24 Parganas: 72.18%
- Nadia: 71.46%
- South Dinajpur: 70.94%
Intruder allegation against BJP
All border districts such as Uttar Dinajpur, Murshidabad, South 24 Parganas, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar recorded an increase of more than 80% in the number of voters. Here’s the thing: The BJP is striking hard and calling the intruders to new voters “ghuspathiya” in Hindi or “anupraveshkari” in Bengali. Safran claimed that the population increase was due to Muslim people coming illegally from the neighboring country Bangladesh. He promised to identify them and send them back. TMC, on the other hand, says the majority are Hindus who migrated from the neighboring country to escape religious oppression. TMC is also questioning the saffron party on why the BJP-led Union government under Narendra Modi has failed to stop the influx of Bangladeshi intruders, if any. The Prime Minister has cornered the BJP with his perspectives and metaphors.
(BJP raised the issue of intruders.)
Mamata Banerjee leads SIR protest
Mamata Banerjee accused the saffron party of manipulating the voter list and targeting a particular community, preventing them from casting their votes. He reached out to voters, addressed an anti-SIR rally in Bongaon and assured them that no one could delete their names from the voters’ list as the Election Commission had no power to delete a single name. Without naming Bihar, he said he knew the BJP’s “game” in the neighboring state. Mamata Banerjee also warned the saffron party that if she or her people are targeted in Bengal, she will take to streets across the country and “shock the entire country”.
Analysts believe that TMC is seizing this opportunity and SIR could be counterproductive for the BJP.
