Bengal polls: CM Mamata Banerjee files nomination for Babanipur constituency, raises SIR issues

New Delhi: Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee She filed her nomination from Babanipur on Wednesday and staged a road march from her Kalighat residence to the Alipore Survey House in Kolkata in a show of strength. Supporters on both sides chanted slogans in support of her Trinamool Congress The (TMC) president walked nearly 800 meters to greet party workers with folded hands and tried to project confidence ahead of a high-stakes match.Banerjee launched a sharp attack on the special enhanced revision (SIR) of the electoral roll soon after filing the papers, saying she was “pained” by the deletion of thousands of names in Bengal. Alleging interference from the Narendra Modi-led Centre, she warned that such activities could undermine the integrity of elections and promised legal aid to affected voters.“I extend greetings, thanks, respects, greetings, Jai Jinendra and Sat Shri Akaal to all of you. Today, as I file my nomination, I want to say that I will work with Babanipur constituency for every center and every district. We will form the government,” the TMC supremo said.Babanipur, long seen as Banerjee’s political stronghold, is emerging as a key battleground. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielded Suvendu Adhikari against her, turning the contest into a direct confrontation, reminiscent of the 2021 Nandigram elections when Adhikari defeated the chief minister.

Although Banerjee achieved a landslide victory in the 2021 by-election with over 71% of the vote, recent trends suggest that the race will become fiercer. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the TMC’s lead in the field has narrowed significantly, with the BJP making inroads in several municipal constituencies. The party leadership has since urged cadres not to become complacent and has set ambitious targets to retain seats.The SIR exercise further intensified competition. More than 40,000 candidates have been removed from the rolls and many more are under scrutiny, party sources said, adding to competing claims about voter targeting. The constituency’s mixed demographics – encompassing Bengali and non-Bengali Hindus, minorities and immigrant communities – add another layer of unpredictability.