TMC launches drive to identify fake voters in South Dinajpur
BALURGHAT: Acting on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s directive, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leadership in South Dinajpur has launched a drive to identify fake voters in the district. This initiative follows Banerjee’s recent concerns about electoral fraud, raised during a conference at Netaji Indoor Stadium on Thursday.
Addressing party workers and leaders, Banerjee alleged that Gangarampur in South Dinajpur has been infiltrated by fake voters. Citing evidence, she claimed that two individuals were found sharing the same voter card number. Furthermore, she accused the BJP of manipulating electoral rolls by adding fake voters from Gujarat and Haryana to influence Assembly elections and weaken the TMC’s chances. She alleged that these irregularities were orchestrated online from Delhi, contributing to the BJP’s electoral gains.
Following her remarks, Banerjee instructed district leaders to investigate the issue thoroughly. This has sparked discussions within the party, particularly after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where TMC candidate Biplab Mitra suffered a narrow defeat. Many party members are now questioning whether fraudulent voters played a role in the party’s electoral setbacks.
In response, South Dinajpur TMC has launched a verification drive at the booth level. Upon their return from Kolkata, district leaders plan to scrutinise voter lists and engage with the public to detect discrepancies. Additionally, Banerjee has formed a core committee to oversee the verification process, with minister Biplab Mitra playing a key role. The committee will handle voter-related complaints from the district at the TMC headquarters.
District TMC president Subhas Bhawal acknowledged the issue, stating: “We were aware of some fake voters but the extent of the problem was revealed by the Chief Minister. Once we return from Kolkata, we will organise meetings, form teams and start field
operations to ensure accurate voter data.”
Meanwhile, fresh cases of duplicate voter card numbers have surfaced in South Dinajpur. Reports from Ratanpur and Nandanpur Gram Panchayat highlight instances where multiple individuals share the same voter ID.
For instance, Shahin Alam, a school teacher from Ratanpur, discovered that his voter ID was also assigned to Ayub Khan from Ahmedabad. Similarly, government employee Taslim Mia found his voter number matched that of Jignesh Makwana from Gujarat. These revelations have raised serious concerns, with many suspecting a larger conspiracy behind the duplication of voter IDs, prompting demands for a thorough investigation.
