As the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state’s voter list begins on Tuesday, November 4, political activity in Bengal is set to heat up further. On the very day that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) start their door-to-door verification drive, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will take to the streets with a massive rally in Kolkata — a move being viewed as both symbolic and politically strategic.
According to party sources, the procession will begin at 1:30 pm from the foot of BR Ambedkar’s statue on Red Road and will culminate at Jorasanko. The rally will be led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the party’s All India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Thousands of party workers and supporters from across the city are expected to join the event.
Kolkata Police have already begun preparations for tight security arrangements, with traffic diversions and deployment of additional personnel along the route to ensure smooth passage of the rally.
TMC leaders have stated that the objective of the rally is to “send a message of protecting democracy and protesting against the divisive politics of the BJP.” A senior leader commented, “From the very day BLOs begin the voter list verification, we will take to the streets with a pledge to protect democracy.”
Political observers note that the timing of the rally is significant. The SIR process, which determines additions and deletions in the voter list, has already become a politically charged issue following Suvendu Adhikari’s recent remarks about BLOs and the subsequent TMC complaint to the Election Commission.
Party insiders suggest that the November 4 rally is TMC’s way of asserting its vigilance and mobilizing public sentiment around the issue of electoral integrity. The TMC leadership has expressed concern that, under the guise of voter list revision, the names of “genuine voters” could be unfairly removed.
During a meeting with party leaders and workers on Friday, Abhishek warned that the next few months would be crucial. “Remember, the next six months will be an acid test for us,” he reportedly said. “BLOs must be careful that neither the BJP nor the Commission omits a single genuine voter’s name in the name of revising the list.”
He further emphasised the importance of vigilance from Booth Level Agents (BLAs), advising them to act as “shadow partners” to BLOs. “That doesn’t mean staying for two hours and going home for lunch,” he cautioned. “A casual or scheming attitude will not work.”
With the voter list revision and the Trinamool’s mass mobilization happening simultaneously, Bengal’s political climate is poised for another surge in tension. All eyes are now on November 4, when both the administrative exercise and political assertion will unfold side by side — each shaping the state’s democratic narrative in its own way.
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