Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 11 : Abhishek Banerjee, General Secretary of All India Trinamool Congress, launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Election Commission of India over the alleged removal of names from voter lists, asserting that if the TMC returns to power, all deleted names would be reinstated, while questioning the basis on which lakhs of voters were excluded.
Speaking on Friday, Banerjee also challenged claims suggesting a large portion of those removed were illegal immigrants, arguing that such assertions raise serious concerns about the treatment of legitimate voters.
"I reassure that when TMC wins, the names of everyone cut from the voter list will be added back. Or the BJP and Election Comission should say that the 90 lakh people whose names were cut were all Bangladeshis... According to their statements, the 63% names out of these were of Hindus, then they too must be Bangladeshi or Rohingya," he said.
Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) would be implemented in West Bengal within six months if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes to power in the state.
Shah made these remarks as he released the party's manifesto on Friday, "Sankalp Patra", for the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026.
Addressing a programme in Kolkata after releasing the party's manifesto, Shah said several BJP-ruled states have already implemented the UCC to ensure that a single, uniform set of laws applies to all citizens across states.
"Several BJP-ruled states have implemented the Uniform Civil Code. Within six months, we will implement the UCC in Bengal and ensure that a single, uniform set of laws applies to all citizens across the state," he said.
He further said the party would take steps to stop infiltration and cattle smuggling across the state's borders."We will not only seal Bengal's borders against infiltrators but also ensure that not a single cow is smuggled out of India through Bengal," Shah said.
The Union Home Minister further claimed that people in the state are seeking political change."The people are frightened and disillusioned. The people want change from the heart. Today we are working as the main opposition party in the Bengal Assembly," he said.
Shah further said that a commission headed by a retired Supreme Court judge will be constituted to investigate all instances of political violence, and additionally, three White Papers will be introduced to address corruption, political violence, and the restoration of law and order.
Polling for the 294-member Assembly in West Bengal will take place in two phases on April 23 and April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.