Former West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Sunday accused the BJP of undermining democracy through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, declaring that West Bengal had become a victim of the exercise and that her party would continue its political struggle without surrendering.
Addressing the INDIA bloc's massive 'Chalo Dilli' rally at Ramlila Maidan in the national capital, Banerjee alleged that the BJP had deprived people of their democratic rights and interfered with the electoral process. She vowed to continue the fight through constitutional and democratic means.
"Bengal is the victim of the circumstances of this SIR. We will not give up. We will give our lives, we will fight, but we will not surrender," Banerjee told the gathering.
Accusing the BJP of having "looted" West Bengal, she said the Opposition would work towards restoring democracy and holding those responsible politically accountable.
"We will save democracy and bring it back. We will take revenge through politics. We will take revenge through democracy. We will fight," she said.
๐ ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
Banerjee also questioned the functioning of the Election Commission and accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of interfering with the electoral process in West Bengal.
She alleged that the revision of electoral rolls had adversely affected voters and claimed that the counting process during the state's Assembly elections had been compromised.
The TMC chief maintained that her party had not been defeated through a fair electoral contest but had suffered because of alleged irregularities.
She accused the BJP of undermining democratic institutions and said the Opposition would continue raising questions about electoral rolls, vote counting and the functioning of the Election Commission.
The allegations have not been established by any judicial finding, and Banerjee did not present independently verified evidence at the rally to substantiate her claims.
๐๐ธ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ต ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ '๐๐ฎ๐น๐ฑ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ถ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐'
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, who also addressed the gathering, launched a sharp attack on the BJP and claimed that the ruling party and its allies would be voted out of power in Uttar Pradesh in the 2027 Assembly elections.
Referring to the BJP's political rise from Uttar Pradesh, Yadav said voters in the state would deliver a decisive verdict against the party.
"Those who once came from UP will be driven out from UP itself. The people of UP know how to welcome and how to bid farewell even better," he said.
He claimed that the BJP-led alliance would face a political setback in the forthcoming Assembly elections.
"In 2027, such a farewell will happen that the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies will not be able to return again," Yadav asserted.
Drawing a historical comparison, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister described the Opposition's gathering as the "Haldighati of democracy", referring to the historic battle associated with Maharana Pratap.
"Today, Ramlila Maidan has turned into the Haldighati of democracy. The massive public support and slogans of revolution are proof that change can happen at any moment," he said.
๐ฆ๐ฃ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐ณ ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐
Yadav accused the BJP of relying on the Election Commission to advance its political objectives, alleging that the ruling party was resorting to electoral manipulation because it feared losing public support.
"You and I have seen that the BJP is continuously plotting conspiracies because they know they cannot win among the public. So they have chosen their path through the Election Commission," he alleged.
Taking another swipe at the BJP, Yadav said leaders who once described themselves as politically invincible had begun losing their support base.
He referred to the mythological character Angad, whose foot could not be moved, to criticise the ruling party's claims of political strength.
"Those who claimed to be an 'unmovable foot of Angad' now have no ground left beneath them," he said.
Yadav also referred to Kashi while attacking the BJP, claiming that voters had delivered a political message to the party.
His remarks formed part of a broader Opposition criticism of the Election Commission and the conduct of electoral processes.
๐ข๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ท๐ผ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐๐
The rally brought together senior leaders of the INDIA bloc, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and representatives of several regional parties.
The demonstration was organised to protest alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise and demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Opposition leaders alleged that the electoral roll revision process had raised serious concerns about the protection of voting rights, particularly for people whose names had been removed from voter lists.
The Election Commission has maintained that electoral roll revision is a statutory exercise intended to ensure the accuracy of voter lists. The Opposition, however, has questioned the manner in which the exercise was conducted and its impact on eligible voters.
The gathering followed a series of demonstrations and political programmes organised by Opposition parties over allegations of electoral malpractice.
'๐๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐ผ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น๐ถ' ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐บ๐น๐ถ๐น๐ฎ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป
Earlier in the day, INDIA bloc leaders and supporters participated in the 'Chalo Dilli' protest march, which began near the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction and proceeded towards Ramlila Maidan.
Large numbers of political workers, student organisations and supporters joined the demonstration, carrying placards and raising slogans against the SIR exercise and the Election Commission.
The rally followed an Opposition programme held in the national capital on October 31, during which participants staged a symbolic impeachment exercise targeting the Chief Election Commissioner.
The programme had no legal effect but was intended to register the Opposition's demand for accountability over alleged electoral irregularities.
Sunday's gathering brought together parties that have raised concerns about the conduct of elections and the independence of constitutional institutions.
Banerjee reiterated that the campaign would continue despite political challenges, while Yadav urged Opposition parties and supporters to maintain pressure over electoral issues.
The rally concluded with INDIA bloc leaders reaffirming their demand for scrutiny of the electoral roll revision process and accountability from the Election Commission.