“1,400 companies with 50-year roots left Bengal for Maharashtra”: Fadnavis slams TMC

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to protect “infiltrators” and influence voter lists ahead of elections in West Bengal. Addressing a press conference in Kolkata, he alleged that the exercise is being resisted for political advantage rather than public interest.

Fadnavis said the SIR process has clear constitutional provisions that allow citizens to raise objections and seek redressal if their names are wrongly excluded. He questioned the TMC’s opposition to the exercise, stating that individuals whose names were removed for valid reasons have not protested, raising concerns about the party’s stand on electoral transparency.

He further claimed that the Supreme Court has made observations on the SIR process but has not halted it, while accusing the TMC of attempting to stop the exercise entirely. Fadnavis added that such revisions should be conducted periodically to remove names of deceased, shifted, or ineligible voters, ensuring a clean and updated electoral roll.

Turning to economic issues, Fadnavis alleged that nearly 1,400 companies that were once associated with West Bengal for decades have shifted their operations to Maharashtra. He claimed this reflects a decline in industrial growth in the state and asserted that a BJP government would restore West Bengal’s position among India’s top five states by boosting industry and creating large-scale employment opportunities.