West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has raised concerns about potential efforts to alter the voter demographics in her Bhowanipore assembly constituency in South Kolkata, which she has represented since 2011. Without specifying a party, Banerjee suggested that outsiders were being brought in to influence the electoral process.
Banerjee expressed disapproval of the reported practices, stating that individuals were arriving, acquiring land, developing properties, and incentivizing current residents to vacate their homes. She highlighted the construction of large residences by displacing impoverished slum dwellings in various areas, emphasizing her opposition to such actions and their impact on the local electorate. Banerjee advocated for utilizing state housing initiatives to safeguard slum residents, emphasizing the importance of protecting her constituents’ residences as a key party objective.
During a Kali Puja event on Friday, Banerjee addressed the controversy surrounding her previous statements regarding “outsiders.” She clarified that her use of the term “Bohiragoto” was specifically aimed at a particular political party that recruits individuals from outside the state. Banerjee alleged that these individuals were being added to voter lists alongside legitimate voters to impede the voting rights of local residents, citing concerns about the influx of unauthorized outsiders during elections.
She further elaborated on her remarks, emphasizing the issue of electoral manipulation rather than targeting any specific community. Banerjee highlighted the diverse linguistic backgrounds of individuals in the area, noting a deliberate effort to populate Bhowanipore with outsiders.
In response to Banerjee’s allegations, the BJP refuted the claims, with party leader Locket Chatterjee asserting that all individuals in the constituency were local residents and not outsiders. Union Minister of State Sukanta Majumder criticized Banerjee’s statements on outsiders, while Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, connected her comments to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls aimed at addressing false voting practices by outsiders.
The BJP leader emphasized that Indian Muslims with valid documentation need not be concerned, suggesting that the alleged false voting facilitated by the TMC would cease in the upcoming assembly elections.