Kolkata, March 7, 2026 - West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is now on her second day of a public demonstration in Kolkata, challenging the recent large-scale removal of names from the state's electoral rolls. The protest, initiated at the symbolic Metro Channel in central Kolkata, centers on allegations that a significant number of eligible voters have been arbitrarily excluded under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
Official figures released February 28 indicate that approximately 63.66 lakh voters, roughly 8.3 percent of the electorate, have been deleted since the SIR process commenced in November last year. This has reduced the total voter base from an estimated 7.66 crore to just over 7.04 crore. Banerjee, alongside senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders and state ministers, continues to maintain her presence at the protest site.
The Chief Minister has publicly accused the Election Commission of complicity with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), asserting that these deletions are a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise voters in West Bengal ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. She has further alleged that the revisions are intended to divide the state and deprive Bengali-speaking individuals of their voting rights.
Read More: Andhra Pradesh Assembly backs 15% growth plan for 'Viksit Bharat-Swarnandhra 2047'
The timing of this sustained protest is noteworthy, occurring just days before a full bench of the Election Commission of India is slated to visit West Bengal. The state has been experiencing heightened political tension surrounding the revision of voter lists. Banerjee's return to street-level agitation is seen by some as a familiar tactic, echoing the early stages of her political ascent.
“Large numbers of genuine voters are being removed… The Election Commission is conspiring with the BJP to disenfranchise Bengal voters.”Mamata Banerjee
The SIR process, according to official data, has seen over 70.69 lakh claims for inclusion and 2.68 lakh requests for deletion in Uttar Pradesh's revision exercise, a detail mentioned in one report alongside Banerjee's protest. The context for these numbers within the West Bengal scenario remains a point of contention.
Read More: West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose Resigns Amidst 2024 Political Friction
“The voter deletions in the post-SIR electoral rolls are aimed at dividing the state.”Mamata Banerjee
Supporters have gathered at the protest venue, showing solidarity with the Chief Minister. The durational nature of the protest, extending through the night and into a second day, underscores the gravity with which the TMC views these electoral roll revisions. The narrative presented by Banerjee frames this issue as a critical fight for democratic survival, a sentiment echoed by party figures like MP Mahua Moitra.
The protest site at Metro Channel in central Kolkata carries significant historical weight for Banerjee, having served as a platform for her earlier street-based activism against the then-ruling Left Front. Senior legal figures associated with the TMC have also voiced criticism, labelling the right to vote as a fundamental democratic entitlement being undermined by these alleged deletions.