CM Mamata to sit on dharna on March 6 against 'arbitrary deletions' under SIR

The political climate in West Bengal has reached a boiling point following the publication of the final Voter List (SIR), which reportedly excludes nearly 6.4 million names. In a scathing press conference on Sunday, March 1, 2026, Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee announced that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will sit on a massive dharna at the Metro Channel in Dharmatala on March 6. The ruling party alleges a deep-rooted conspiracy by the Election Commission, acting at the behest of the BJP, to disenfranchise a massive portion of the state's electorate ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

Abhishek Banerjee did not mince words, directly challenging Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He claimed that the "adjudication" of 64 lakh voters is a deliberate attempt to create an atmosphere of panic and manipulate the democratic process. "Those whom you have adjudged will make you subject to trial within six months," Abhishek warned, while also encouraging affected citizens and party workers to immediately submit 'Form 6' to re-enlist their names. He argued that if such a large number of voters remain in the 'Under Adjudication' category, the legitimacy of any upcoming election would be compromised.

The conflict over the SIR process is not new; it began in October last year, with Mamata Banerjee repeatedly expressing fears of valid voters being excluded. The Trinamool leadership has already taken this battle to Delhi, meeting with the CEC and even moving the Supreme Court to highlight what they term as "torture" of the common people. The party asserts that the target set by the BJP for these exclusions has been met through the Commission’s recent lists, leading to this unprecedented "war" between the state government and the constitutional body.