Electoral Roll Battle: Adhikari Defends SIR Against Banerjee's Opposition

Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal, has urged the Chief Election Commissioner to continue the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, opposing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's call to halt it. Adhikari claims Banerjee's opposition reveals electoral malpractice, while he supports the SIR as a democratic necessity.

In a fresh twist to West Bengal's electoral drama, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has ramped up pressure on the Election Commission to persist with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. His appeal comes on the heels of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's demand to halt the process.

Adhikari, in a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, dismissed Banerjee's grievances as an 'admission of defeat,' accusing her of distorting facts to portray the Electoral Commission as politicized. He argues that the SIR is widely supported by the populace, who he claims prefer transparent elections over political patronage.

Emphasizing that comprehensive training and modern communication tools bolster the revision's credibility, Adhikari accuses the ruling Trinamool Congress of hampering the process through intimidation and misinformation. He insists the revision exercise is a constitutional imperative, not an assault, urging its continuation.

(With inputs from agencies.)