Burying decades of bitter ideological rivalry, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday stated that she has no issue aligning with the CPI(M) in national politics. The outreach comes ahead of the critical INDIA bloc conclave scheduled for September 30 at Delhi’s Constitution Club, where opposition parties intend to finalize their roadmap demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Mamata Banerjee, who is expected to attend the national opposition meeting in the capital, addressed a public gathering in Serampore (Sreerampur), Hooghly district. Speaking as the supremo of the Mamata All India Trinamool Congress—a breakaway faction of the erstwhile All India Trinamool Congress—she signaled an unconditional intent to join hands against the BJP and the current election management authority:
“It’s not necessary to verify the colour and which party it belongs to. We will fight together.”
To coordinate the joint offensive, Banerjee has already held direct phone conversations with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and CPI(M) General Secretary M.A. Baby to map out the strategy against the Central government and the poll panel head.
Focus on Electoral Roll Revisions: The ‘Vanish Kumar’ Charge
Reiterating her call for broad opposition solidarity across party symbols, Banerjee emphasized the common minimum agenda over past political acrimony:
“The entire country is united. We will fight unitedly and it’s not a necessity to judge who is red, who is blue and who is yellow. The election process must have to be transparent and clean,” the former Bengal Chief Minister declared. “We won’t judge whether it’s ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’ or ‘Z’ party fighting. We will see the issue first. It hardly matters if any party, cutting across its political colour fights for the people. We will stay with them.”
Tying the national campaign directly to ground disputes in Bengal, Banerjee alleged large-scale disenfranchisement under the Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR):
- Allegation of Deletions: Accused the poll body of expelling 93 lakh voters from Bengal’s rolls using automated and artificial intelligence modules.
- Legal Interventions: Pointed to state legal challenges against the SIR framework, claiming legal redress restored 32 lakh names to the register.
- Direct Attack on the CEC: “For the first time, I had named ‘vanish’ Kumar because he (CEC) had vanished names from the voter list. We will continue our fight till the removal of ‘vanish’ Kumar,” she stated, also citing prior questions raised about Commission official Seema Khanna’s role.
Violence En Route to Serampore: MLA Kunal Ghosh’s Convoy Attacked
The political rally in Hooghly unfolded amidst high drama and violence on the ground. Shortly before Banerjee departed her Harish Chatterjee Street residence in Kolkata, the convoy of Beleghata MLA and senior loyalist Kunal Ghosh was ambushed near Uttarpara’s Sakherbazar.
A hostile crowd reportedly chanted “go back” and “thief” before hurling eggs, bricks, and brandishing lathis at Ghosh’s vehicle while he sat in the front passenger seat.
Rushing to the area, Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the state’s ruling BJP dispensation and law enforcement:
“BJP hooligans and lumpens are attacking our people. I am rushing to the spot. Let me see,” Banerjee told the media. “This has not happened anywhere, not even in African countries. This is happening with the support of the police. They should leave their uniforms and hold the BJP flag.”
Condemning the blockade, she added: “We are not being allowed to leave from here. Our MLA’s car was damaged. He was attacked by goons. Nobody is being allowed to reach Serampore. Is this right for democracy?”
Administrative Restrictions and Judicial Clearances
The Serampore meeting itself took place under stringent legal conditions. On September 17, the Calcutta High Court granted permission for Banerjee’s public rally with a cap restricting attendance to a maximum of 1,000 individuals on the grounds.
Banerjee cited the legal hurdle as evidence of deliberate administrative throttling by the ruling administration:
“We had to seek permission from the court to hold this meeting. If they [the BJP] won by a popular mandate, why are they not allowing the Opposition leaders to hold meetings?” she asked. “Why should I have to take the court’s permission to hold meetings? Court has other important matters to attend to. We are being denied auditoriums to hold indoor meetings. How do we go to people?”
