Kolkata: Ahead of the assembly election scheduled next year, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, from a party event at the Netaji Indoor Stadium on Thursday, accused the BJP of enlisting fake voters from other states in the electoral rolls with the "help of the Election Commission of India" (ECI), warning of an indefinite dharna before the poll body's office if corrective measures are not taken.
Flashing an electoral roll to party workers from the podium, she said there are numerous examples of people from Gujarat, Haryana and other states enrolled in Bengal's voter list, warning about external agency's influence in the malpractice.
"They could not detect how BJP won Maharashtra and Delhi. But we will catch them red-handed," she said.
She questioned the appointment of Gyanesh Kumar as the chief election commissioner (CEC), alleging that the BJP was "trying to influence" the constitutional body by elevating a secretary to the Union Home Minister to the position.
"It has now become clear how the BJP is manipulating the voter list with the blessings of the Election Commission. If I can go on 26 26-day hunger strike (during the Singur anti-land acquisition movement in 2006), we can also start a movement against the Election Commission. If necessary, we can start an indefinite sit-in in front of its office demanding revision of the voter list and removal of fake voters," she said.
She accused the BJP of resorting to "similar tactics in Delhi and Maharashtra by enrolling voters from Haryana and Gujarat to manipulate elections".
"In Delhi and Maharashtra, the BJP won elections by enrolling fake voters from Haryana and Gujarat. The party will bring these fake voters from Haryana and Gujarat and try to win elections in Bengal as the BJP know that it can never win Bengal if polls are held in a free and fair manner," she alleged.
Banerjee accused the BJP of "ensuring enrolment of fake voters from other states in various districts of West Bengal with the help of the EC". "We will identify fake voters who have been enrolled on the electoral list with the help of the BJP. We will not allow outsiders (BJP) to capture Bengal," the TMC supremo claimed.
Banerjee further said, "What BJP has done in Delhi (assembly polls) can't be replicated in Bengal."
She claimed the malpractice is being done from a portion of the data entry operators' level. "I request the people of Bengal please check your names in the electoral roll as fake voters are being enlisted with the complete knowledge of the central poll body. I heard sweet packets were distributed in many places. Many AROs derelict their duties, leaving the entire task to data entry operators. They get the job done ahead of every election. Don't fear them as they last for three months," she said.
She assigned the task of detecting fake voters to party cadres and formed a committee under party MP Subrata Bakshi for the same.
Her remarks come amid heightened political tensions in the state, with both the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP gearing up for a fierce electoral battle.
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