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West Bengal's S.I.R. (voter list verification) process has rapidly evolved into the epicentre of a fierce political confrontation between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), setting the stage for the 2026 elections. What began as a routine administrative audit has now become the states newest political fault line.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly held high-level meetings with Bengal BJP MPs, advocating for an aggressive rollout of the S.I.R. initiative as a key component of the partys 2026 election strategy.
In response, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has launched a robust counter-mobilisation, scheduling rallies in areas like Malda, Murshidabad, and Cooch Behar. Banerjee accuses the BJP of weaponising S.I.R. to deliberately target and erase voters from minority and migrant communities, whom she claims the BJP perceives as non-supporters. The TMC asserts that the process is being used to instil fear, marking individuals as potentially illegal.
BJPs Amit Malviya has countered, accusing the TMC of defending infiltrators and highlighting the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) removal of 35 Muslim castes from the Central Other Backward Classes (OBC) list. Both sides are intensifying their efforts, with every voter now a part of this unfolding battle.
