‘Harassment in the name of SIR’: Mamata to address public amid rising tension and BLO deaths

Amid rising controversy over the SIR process and the continuing deaths of BLOs in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has decided to intervene directly. She will hold two major public meetings on consecutive days—December 3 in Malda and December 4 in Baharampur—to address concerns related to “harassment” in the name of SIR, administrative dissatisfaction and issues surrounding the electoral process.

According to party sources, the Chief Minister views the unrest, confusion and pressure linked to SIR as the state’s “biggest public concern” at the moment. The Trinamool Congress has been consistently criticising the Election Commission for the deaths of several BLOs, alleging excessive workload, pressure to meet targets and irregularities in voter list revision.

TMC leaders claim that the SIR exercise has placed an “inhumane burden” on BLO workers and has created widespread anxiety across districts. The Chief Minister is expected to highlight these concerns, outline the party’s stand and directly reach out to affected families and workers during her rallies.

With political tension escalating, Mamata Banerjee’s district-level public outreach is being seen as a significant move aimed at shaping the narrative around SIR and questioning the Election Commission’s handling of the process.