New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday called on his party’s West Bengal MPs to gear up for state assembly elections and said that the exercise to revise electoral rolls was “necessary purification”.
At the meeting in Parliament, a senior party leader told ThePrint the Prime Minister directed BJP MPs to highlight Centre’s welfare initiatives and convey to voters that Special Intensive Revision (SIR)—currently underway in West Bengal—was a routine process.
“The PM highlighted that SIR is a necessary purification process and a routine one being carried out. The idea he said is to keep messaging regarding SIR simple. He said it is to ensure that eligible voters are included and ineligible ones are removed. The drive must remain simple and transparent, and this message should be conveyed to people by party workers,” the senior BJP leader said.
The meeting, attended by West Bengal BJP chief Shamik Bhattacharya and Union ministers Shantanu Thakur and Sukanta Majumdar, came as the party prepares for polls scheduled early next year. BJP hopes to improve its tally from the 77-seat performance (out of 294 constituencies) in the 2021 assembly elections.
The party’s performance from the state was also underwhelming in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Its tally in West Bengal fell to 12 seats from 18 in 2019. The state has 42 Lok Sabha constituencies.
Controversy over SIR has roiled Parliament, with Opposition parties disrupting proceedings as Winter Session began earlier this week. Parties relented only after the government agreed to their demand for a debate, though it referred to the discussion as one on “election reforms” rather than SIR specifically.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday termed SIR a “politically-driven exercise” aimed at unsettling voters. Last week, a delegation of TMC MPs met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and told him that he had “blood on his hands”, linking the deaths of at least 39 people including four Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in West Bengal to the ongoing SIR.
Opposition parties have accused the Election Commission of using the exercise to disenfranchise voters belonging to minority and disadvantaged communities. The poll panel has denied any wrongdoing.
Beyond SIR, the Prime Minister directed BJP MPs to maintain regular contact with beneficiaries of central government schemes and ensure these initiatives were prominently highlighted. “The idea is to ensure that the government’s welfare measures reach the people in a seamless manner,” the party leader added.
Sources said the PM asked MPs to work harder to win the state election and acknowledged hard work already put in by party workers.
“The PM said we all need to work hard and ensure that we win the elections. He appreciated the progress that the state unit has made but stressed on the fact that the fight against this government must continue,” another party leader said.
Modi also inquired about tribal MP Khagen Murmu, who was allegedly attacked by Trinamool Congress workers. He asked party leaders to highlight instances of violence while ensuring protection for party workers and advised them to focus on a positive campaign.
Speaking to reporters, BJP MP from Darjeeling Raju Bista described the meeting as “inspiring” and said PM Modi took note of the struggles faced by the party in the state.
“All MPs from West Bengal met the PM today. Whenever we meet the PM, we get a new energy. He took information from us on the incident of an attack on one of our tribal MPs; there was also a discussion on the Darjeeling landslides. He also appreciated BJP workers’ efforts for the party,” Bista said.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister also interacted with BJP MPs from Assam, another state that is likely to go to polls early next year.
(Edited by Prerna Madan)
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