CM’s dharna aimed at stalling cleansing of voters’ list: BJP

Kolkata: Bengal BJP on Friday hit out at CM Mamata Banerjee's dharna against "forced deletion" of names from voters' list, describing it as yet another "theatrics" aimed at stalling "the cleansing of the electoral roll".

While the party said it is preparing for elections to be held on schedule, it accused Trinamool of trying to "delay the process".

"This dharna is definitely not for the people of Bengal. It is to ensure that infiltrators are retained in the electoral roll," Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattcharya said at the Parivartan Yatra in Howrah.


Union minister Giriraj Singh, who took part in the Parivartan Yatra in Midnapore, said Trinamool is working to "legitimise citizenship of Muslim infiltrators from Bangladesh".

"I think Election Commission needs to go deeper in Bengal. Mamata Banerjee's govt provided them (infiltrators) with Aadhaar cards and ration cards. I think 50 lakh more names should be deleted from the electoral roll," Singh said.

Bhattacharya said Bengal is the only state where the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral roll has faced resistance. "SIR is being conducted in 12 states. The process has not faced any resistance in any state other than Bengal. Trinamool knows it has been rejected by the people," he said.

On whether the assembly polls would be held on schedule, Agnimitra Paul, BJP's Asansol MLA, said, "If a new govt is not formed by May 5 midnight, Bengal will come under President's rule. The chief minister knows that and it is for her to make a decision."

BJP's former Rajya Sabha member Swapan Dasgupta reminded Banerjee of her constitutional duties as chief minister. "The state administration should cooperate with EC in the preparation of the electoral roll and holding the election. The state govt's non-cooperation... is leading to breakdown of the Constitution. The chief minister forgot her constitutional duties and sat on a dharna against a constitutional body."

Union minister Sukanta Majumdar took a dig at the dharna, saying Banerjee is playing the role of opposition leader. "She knows she will soon become the leader of opposition. She might be rehearsing her new role," Majumdar said.