West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday (December 9, 2025) claimed that assembly elections in the state will be announced immediately after the publication of the final voter list in February after a special intensive vetting (SIR) process to avoid legal challenges over the new voter list.
Addressing a public meeting at the Raas Mela ground here, Mamata Banerjee alleged that the SIR process was being used to create fear among voters. He also attacked the Center over the alleged withholding of funds under the 100-day action plan and tore a pamphlet on the stage in which he mentioned the conditions imposed by the Central government for resumption of payments.
He said, ‘Elections will be declared immediately after the final list of SIR is released in February, so that no one gets a chance to challenge it legally. This will be done so that elections are held on the basis of the same list. Mamata Banerjee alleged that the implementation of SIR by the Commission on November 4 has created an atmosphere of fear among the people and they fear that their names will be arbitrarily removed from the voter list.
He said, ‘Now we have to prove our citizenship? What could be more shameful than this? People who have been living here for generations are being asked to prove who they are. Stepping up his attack on the Centre, the Chief Minister accused the BJP-led government of running an ‘anarchical and autocratic’ rule.
He alleged that if BJP comes to power in the state, the party will destroy the culture, language and heritage of Bengal. Mamata also claimed that if the Trinamool Congress government had stopped the special intensive revision of the voter list, the central government would have imposed President’s rule in West Bengal.
He alleged, ‘They (BJP) were looking for an opportunity. If we had stopped the SIR, President’s rule would have been imposed here. Mamata Banerjee said that despite the orders of the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court, the Center did not release the outstanding amount even after a year and instead sent a letter imposing several conditions on the implementation of the scheme.
Before tearing the leaflet from the stage, he announced, ‘We do not accept these conditions. Bengal will run the 100-day action plan on its own. Claiming that funds under the Rural Employment Scheme have been stopped for four years, Mamata Banerjee alleged that the Center has also stopped other welfare programs like rural housing and rural road projects.
He said that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government had started an alternative scheme ‘Karmashree’ by providing work on its own before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and claimed that the program has been successful. The Chief Minister said, ‘We do not want alms from anyone. Bengal knows how to stand on its own feet.
While reading the form, Mamata Banerjee cited a condition under which the Labor Department is required to present a quarterly labor budget. He asked, ‘It is December now. Elections will be announced in February. When will we show all this?’ The Chief Minister also alleged that under another condition the number of workers in each Gram Sabha is limited to 10.
He said, ‘Does this ever happen?’ There can be 10 poor people even in one family. Mamta said that the Center has also talked about mandatory training for the workers. Showing the paper, the Chief Minister said, ‘It has no value. This is a useless paper. I consider it an insult. After this he tore the paper from the stage.
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