Mamata Banerjee may visit Delhi to rally opposition against SIR

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to visit New Delhi next week with the aim of building a united opposition stand against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being conducted in West Bengal and several other states. The proposed visit is expected to coincide with the Budget Session of Parliament, when leaders of major opposition parties will be present in the capital.

While the exact dates and duration of the visit have not been finalised, a senior state minister said the Chief Minister intends to stay in Delhi to hold consultations with opposition MPs and leaders. The focus will be on forging a common strategy to challenge the SIR process beyond West Bengal.

According to the current schedule, hearings on claims and objections to the draft electoral rolls are to conclude by February 7, with the final rolls scheduled for publication on February 14. However, there are indications that both deadlines may be extended, and the announcement of Assembly election dates will follow only after the final rolls are released.

Trinamool Congress sources said Mamata Banerjee and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee have decided to take their opposition to the SIR process to the national level. A protest in front of the Election Commission headquarters in Delhi is also being considered as part of the strategy.

Political observers, however, note that uniting the opposition on this issue may be challenging, as the SIR exercise has not sparked similar controversy in other states and Union Territories, unlike in West Bengal.