Mamata leads anti-SIR march; EC to meet TMC leaders on Nov 28

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday led a three-km march from Bongaon's Chandpara to Matua- heartland Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas district to protest the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.

The procession, which was taken up by the Trinamool Congress supremo after addressing an anti-SIR rally at Bangaon town situated near the India-Bangladesh border, culminated at Dhakuria school in Thakurnagar, a party leader said.

Banerjee led the procession with participants carrying blue and white balloons, waving TMC flags and raising anti-SIR slogans.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has undertaken the SIR exercise in nine states, including West Bengal, and three Union Territories. Assembly polls are due in 2026. Banerjee was greeted with flowers by some enthusiasts as she walked in her usual brisk pace during the march, waving at people who gathered on both sides of the streets through which the procession passed.

A few elderly women were seen embracing Banerjee during the procession. She also cuddled babies after taking them from the laps of their mothers.

TMC Rajya Sabha MP Mamatabala Thakur, minister Sujit Bose and former minister and MLA Jyoti Priya Mallick were among the several party functionaries who accompanied the TMC supremo in the march.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday granted appointment to a five-member delegation of Trinamool Congress (TMC) for a meeting at 11 am on November 28.

However, TMC Rajya Sabha MP and leader of parliamentary party Derek O’Brien said that for a party with 40 MPs, they have requested the poll panel to allow a 10-member delegation for the meeting.

In response to the ECI’s letter granting the TMC delegation appointment for November 28, O’Brien responded by sending a list of 10 MPs to the poll body, who will be accompanying him to meet the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

Key names in the list included that of TMC MPs from Lok Sabha namely Kalyan Banerjee, Mahua Moitra, Satabdi Roy and Sajda Ahmed among others, while from Rajya Sabha the names included those of Dola Sen and O’Brien himself along with others. The appointment was granted by the ECI after O’Brien had requested for time with it through a letter dated November 23.