West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee is preparing to take her fight against the Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, of voter lists directly to the Election Commission of India in Delhi. After her party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee met the full bench of the Election Commission last month, Mamata herself is now expected to meet Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in the national capital.

According to Trinamool sources, Mamata will lead a 15-member delegation to Delhi on Monday, February 2. This delegation may include family members of people who have been declared “dead” during the SIR process despite being alive. It may also include voters who are alive but have been wrongly marked as deceased in the draft voter list. The party says this will help the Election Commission directly hear the pain and problems of affected citizens.

The issue of SIR has been at the centre of a growing political storm in West Bengal. The Trinamool Congress alleges that during the verification process, many genuine voters are being harassed, called repeatedly to government offices, and asked to prove their identity with unnecessary documents. Mamata Banerjee has claimed that women, especially married women, are facing special trouble.

The controversy took a sharp turn from a public meeting in Singur, Hooghly district, where Mamata strongly attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Referring to women being questioned over changes in surname after marriage, Mamata asked pointed questions.

She said that many women who changed their surnames after marriage are being called for hearings and asked why their surname has changed. These women are being forced to submit documents just to explain a normal social practice. From the Singur stage, Mamata said, “I respectfully ask the Prime Minister, what is your wife’s surname? If you have accepted her as your wife. And Mr Home Minister, what is your wife’s surname?”

Mamata went on to say that when women get married, they naturally move to their in-laws’ house and often change their surname. According to her, questioning this change shows a lack of respect for women. She accused the system of being anti-women and insensitive to Indian social realities.

She further alleged that even address changes after marriage are being questioned. “They are asking why the address has changed. After marriage, a woman will go to her in-laws’ home. Of course her address will change. Will you remove her name from the voter list for this?” Mamata asked. She firmly said that such practices would not be tolerated.

The Trinamool Congress also claims that not only women but men are facing problems due to what the Election Commission has called “logical discrepancies”. These include issues related to surnames and personal details. The party alleges that while SIR is being conducted in 12 states and Union Territories, such strict logic is being applied only in West Bengal.

According to the Trinamool leadership, similar discrepancies are not being used to call voters for hearings in BJP-ruled states like Gujarat or Uttar Pradesh. The party claims that the Election Commission is acting under pressure from the ruling party at the Centre and following a fixed political plan.

Earlier, on December 31, Abhishek Banerjee had met the Election Commission in Delhi and raised several complaints related to SIR. After that meeting, he had clearly said that Mamata Banerjee herself would come to Delhi to take the issue forward. That plan is now taking shape.

Meanwhile, the BJP has hit back strongly. BJP national president Nitin Nabin has blamed the West Bengal state administration for the harassment of people during the SIR process. Speaking at a rally in Durgapur, West Burdwan, Nabin accused Mamata Banerjee of playing a double game.

He said that people are being called to DM and SDO offices and harassed, and then the Chief Minister is blaming the Election Commission. According to Nabin, district magistrates and sub-divisional officers are representatives of the Election Commission during the process, but they are also under the control of the state government.

“You are making the people of Bengal suffer by calling them to DM and SDO offices. Then you are blaming the Election Commission. The DM and SDO are sitting here as Commission representatives, but you are using them like puppets. You are playing the whole game,” Nabin said, directly targeting Mamata Banerjee.

Despite BJP’s allegations, Mamata Banerjee has made it clear that she will continue to put pressure on the Election Commission. Though her immediate plan to travel to Delhi after the Singur rally was cancelled, she has clearly indicated that she will go to the capital within the next few days.

From the Singur stage, Mamata said, “If not today, then tomorrow, I will go to Delhi. You cannot snatch people’s rights and expect me to remain silent. If needed, I will even go to court. If I get permission, I will fight for the people, not as a lawyer but as a common citizen.”

She made serious allegations, claiming that living people have been declared dead during the SIR process. She also alleged that notices were sent to disabled persons, and in one shocking case, parents were so disturbed after receiving a notice that they committed suicide. Mamata said she has documents and proof of these incidents and has preserved them carefully.

Mamata Banerjee has already written several letters to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar pointing out gaps and problems in the SIR process in West Bengal. She has earlier complained that the Election Commission did not respond properly to many of these letters. This time, she wants to raise the issue face to face.

According to party sources, Abhishek Banerjee may also be part of Mamata’s delegation to Delhi. The Trinamool Congress believes that meeting the Election Commission directly, along with affected citizens, will increase pressure and force corrective steps.

As the political battle intensifies, the SIR issue has clearly become more than just a technical exercise. It has turned into a major political flashpoint, with questions being raised about women’s rights, federal fairness, and the role of constitutional bodies. With Mamata Banerjee preparing to take her protest to Delhi, the coming days are likely to see the controversy grow even sharper.