Mamata Banerjee Warns of Voter Manipulation in Bhowanipore: “Outsiders Being Brought In to Influence Elections”

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Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday raised serious concerns over a deliberate attempt to alter the voter base in her Bhowanipore Assembly constituency, a seat she has represented since 2011. Speaking at a public event, Banerjee alleged that outsiders were being brought into the area to sway election outcomes.

“People are coming here, purchasing land, constructing buildings, and offering money to current residents to make them leave. In many areas, big houses are being built by demolishing the slums of the poor. I do not support this. You are driving away our voters,” she said, urging authorities to use state housing schemes to protect slum dwellers.

Clarifying her remarks during a Kali Puja event, Banerjee explained that her reference to “outsiders” was aimed at a particular political party, not any community.

“They add the names of ten outsiders alongside the names of our genuine voters, so that our own people are prevented from voting. Under the guise of elections, many outsiders come here illegally,” she said.
“How can one person have their name registered in two places? That is what I pointed out and why I cautioned my councillors to remain vigilant. Unfortunately, my words were deliberately misconstrued.”

Banerjee further emphasized that her concern is strictly about electoral manipulation, stating that Bhowanipore is increasingly being populated with outsiders through a planned strategy.

The remarks have triggered strong reactions from opposition leaders. BJP leader Locket Chatterjee dismissed the allegations, saying, “Nobody is bringing any outsider. All are her own people from her constituency. She is being judged by her own people based on her work.”

Union Minister of State Sukanta Majumder also criticised Banerjee, questioning the validity of her claims. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari linked her statements to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which aims to remove names of ineligible voters.

“Indian Muslims with valid documents need not worry. But rampant false voting by outsiders, which TMC previously facilitated, will end in the next assembly elections,” Adhikari claimed at a BJP-organised meeting in Hooghly.

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