BJP again moves HC against Mamta govt's denial to Rath Yatra

Agencies

December 17, 2018

New Delhi/Kolkata, Dec 17: The ruling BJP is moving the Calcutta High Court again on Monday protesting against the West Bengal government denial of permission for the party's proposed Rath Yatra or 'Save Democracy Rally' across the state eying the 2019 parliamentary elections.

According to state BJP president Dilip Ghosh, the West Bengal BJP unit is moving the court again today as the Mamata Banerjee led government denied the permission for the yatra on Saturday last observing that "The Raths, if permitted, will incite communal flare-ups statewide".

"People in the state are ready for a change after BJP's growth and its success in winning over 7000 seats in panchayat polls and hence it had rattled the Chief Minister who is taking such undemocratic decision", Mr Ghosh maintained.

"The three yatras we have planned for organisational expansion in West Bengal will certainly happen and the Raths will roll out in the state as planned. Mamata Banerjee and her dispensation won't cow down BJP workers." Mr. Ghosh opined.

The confrontation between the ruling BJP and the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government with regard to rath yatra proposed by the former in the state aggravated on Saturday night with the rejection of it by the latter.

According to sources, the West Bengal government had sent a letter in this respect to the BJP state unit. In the letter, the state government maintained that the permission for the yatra could not be given as it might create communal tension in the state.

"RSS, VHP and others like Bajrang Dal are scheduled to take part in the yatra and these may incite communal violence across the state," the sources quoting the letter said.

However, the permission for a meeting of BJP might be given if okayed by the district administration.

Informatively, after the Calcutta High Court's denial of permission to the rath yatra on December 7 from Cooch Behar, it had asked the Bengal administration to "cooperate" with the BJP.

After the direction from Division Bench of Calcutta High court, the BJP has filed a caveat in the Supreme Court in this regard.

The BJP had suffered a major jolt on December 6 after Calcutta High Court denied permission to the yatra directing the party to put it on hold till the next hearing of the case on January 9, 2019.

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Over 58 lakh names dropped from draft voter list in Bengal ahead of polls

News Network

December 16,2025

The deletion of over 58 lakh names from West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has sparked widespread concern and is likely to deepen political tensions in the poll-bound state.

According to the Election Commission, the revision exercise has identified 24 lakh voters as deceased, 19 lakh as relocated, 12 lakh as missing, and 1.3 lakh as duplicate entries. The draft list, published after the completion of the first phase of SIR, aims to remove errors and duplication from the electoral rolls.

However, the scale of deletions has raised fears that a large number of eligible voters may have been wrongly excluded. The Election Commission has said that individuals whose names are missing can file objections and seek corrections. The final voter list is scheduled to be published in February next year, after which the Assembly election announcement is expected. Notably, the last Special Intensive Revision in Bengal was conducted in 2002.

The development has intensified the political row over the SIR process. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress have strongly opposed the exercise, accusing the Centre and the Election Commission of attempting to disenfranchise lakhs of voters ahead of the elections.

Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar earlier this month, Banerjee urged people to protest if their names were removed from the voter list, alleging intimidation during elections and warning of serious consequences if voting rights were taken away.

The BJP, meanwhile, has defended the revision and accused the Trinamool Congress of politicising the issue to protect what it claims is an illegal voter base. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the ruling party fears losing power due to the removal of deceased, fake, and illegal voters.

The controversy comes amid earlier allegations by the Trinamool Congress that excessive work pressure during the SIR led to the deaths by suicide of some Booth Level Officers (BLOs), for which the party blamed the Election Commission. With the draft list now out, another round of political confrontation appears imminent.

As objections begin to be filed, the focus will be on whether the correction mechanism is accessible, transparent, and timely—critical factors in ensuring that no eligible voter is denied their democratic right ahead of a crucial election.

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