Kolkata – The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is gearing up for a large-scale campaign against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls following the Diwali festivities. The party's National General Secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, is set to spearhead a significant rally on November 2, marking the commencement of the intensified movement.

The TMC has been vocally opposing the SIR, raising concerns about the Election Commission's authority to conduct what they perceive as citizenship checks that could potentially disenfranchise voters. The party argues that the SIR mirrors Section 3 of the Citizenship Act of 1955, effectively making it an "NRC in disguise".

Abhishek Banerjee has accused the BJP of manipulating the SIR to "select voters" and deprive Bengalis of their voting rights ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. He has warned that any attempt to remove legitimate voters from the electoral rolls will be met with strong protests in Delhi. "Earlier, voters used to elect a government, but now the BJP is selecting voters through the undemocratic SIR process," Banerjee stated.

The TMC's opposition is rooted in the apprehension that the SIR may lead to the deletion of genuine voters, particularly targeting specific communities. Party leaders have expressed their determination to ensure that no eligible voter is unfairly removed from the rolls. Kunal Ghosh, a TMC spokesperson, declared that if even one valid voter is deliberately struck off Bengal's voter rolls, one lakh people from Bengal will protest in front of the EC headquarters in Delhi.

The party's concerns have also been echoed by other leaders. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, TMC Lok Sabha chief whip, alleged that a particular community is being targeted in the name of SIR. State Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya asserted that the SIR appears to be aimed at stripping away the rights of genuine voters and that such attempts would be resisted.

Abhishek Banerjee has further stated that the SIR would only be acceptable if the current Parliament were dissolved, given that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were conducted using allegedly manipulated electoral rolls. He has demanded legal action against the former Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar, under whose leadership the elections were held.

The TMC's campaign also includes outreach events such as Bijaya Sammilanis, where the SIR issue is being highlighted. The party organized 100 such events across Bengal on a single day, with the proposed SIR of voter rolls dominating the discourse.

While Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee were expected to miss the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar, they nominated Yusuf Pathan and Lalitesh Tripathi to represent the party, underscoring the TMC's commitment to opposing the SIR.

The TMC's anti-SIR campaign is expected to intensify in the coming weeks, with the November 2 rally serving as a major launchpad for further protests and demonstrations. The party aims to take its fight to Delhi, mobilizing supporters and raising awareness about what it perceives as an attempt to undermine the democratic rights of the people of Bengal.