Suvendu Adhikari targets 'fake and proxy voters', backs SIR in Bengal ahead of 2026 polls

Asansol (West Bengal) [India], December 17 (ANI): West Bengal Assembly Leader of Opposition and senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday took a sharp jibe at the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), asserting that the BJP fights elections without relying on what he termed as fake, dead or illegal voters, amid the ongoing debate of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.
Speaking on the voter list revision exercise, Adhikari said the BJP believes in transparent electoral practices and does not resort to proxy voting. "We are honest people. The BJP does not contest elections by relying on dead voters, fake voters and Bangladeshi infiltrators. The BJP doesn't indulge in proxy voting. Everything has been exposed regarding what is in the voter list in Bengal," he said, claiming that the SIR has brought out irregularities that existed for years.
Adhikari's remarks come at a time when the Election Commission of India (ECI) has completed the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls as part of preparations for the next West Bengal Assembly elections, expected to be held in March-April 2026. The draft rolls released on Tuesday show that 58,20,899 names, about 7.59 per cent of the total electorate, have been provisionally deleted on grounds such as death, permanent migration, or untraceability.
According to the ECI, out of over 7.66 crore registered electors in the state, more than 7.08 crore had submitted enumeration forms by December 11. The poll body has clarified that the draft list is not final and that eligible voters whose names are missing can seek inclusion during the claims and objections period.
The revision exercise, however, has triggered a political debate in the state. The Trinamool Congress has alleged that the SIR is politically motivated and has raised questions over its implementation, while maintaining that its support base remains unaffected. Senior TMC leader and AITC MP Abhishek Banerjee has expressed confidence that the party's vote share and seat tally will increase compared to the 2021 Assembly elections, despite the deletions in the draft rolls.
The Election Commission has stated that the claims and objections window will remain open until 15 January 2026, urging voters to verify their details, as the SIR continues to be a key issue in Bengal's charged political landscape ahead of the next Assembly polls. (ANI)