‘GET LOST’: To SIR, With Love
A wave of suppressed anger has spread across the sublime, lush green landscape of Shonar Bangla. No marks for guessing.
So, is Mamata Bannerjee winning, yet again?
If yes, and it seems yes, then the entire credit goes to whom? Mr M.
And honourable Chief Election Commissioner Shri Gyanesh Kumar.
Also, because he seems to have recently screamed at a Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation of MPs: “Get Lost.”
So, here’s the 5W and 1H of the puzzle.
Witness one more story among thousands trickling in from Bengal. Stories of outrage and disbelief. Every story is a nail in the coffin of the sordid, morbid phenomena called SIR.
Reports independent media portal eNewsroom.in: Nandita Roy is a 38-year-old distinguished academician who has taught in three Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs)—Kashipur, Lucknow, and Kolkata.
“While I have all the documents, I followed every step. The only additional thing I had done was to fill out Form 8 for the change of address. Still, my name was there in the February 28 final draft. Later, it was put under adjudication, and on March 31’s supplementary list, I found myself deleted,” Roy told eNewsroom.
“My grandfather and father were in the Indian Air Force, and my father was a war veteran; he had participated in the 1971 (Indo-Pak) war,” informed the professor, whose ancestors are from Bengal. Roy has done her schooling at the Assembly of God Church School and GD Birla, and completed her graduation, Master’s, and PhD from Jadavpur University, Kolkata.
Not only her, the portal reports that distinguished academics from IIM Kolkata and Aliah University—including PhD scholars—find themselves ‘deleted’ in the electoral rolls. Alongside an Anandabazar Patrika journalist, an MBBS student, and activists.
Take the case of Sandeep Ahamed, an activist. The software used to process the voters’ list put his name ‘under adjudication’ due to a difference in spelling: “Sandip” and “Sandeep.” His name was in the 2002 voters’ list. He said, “The BLO, as well as a special observer, told me that it is a software mistake and it will get corrected, but instead it got deleted.”
Meanwhile, Telegraph of Kolkata reported an interesting incident about a 32-year-old homemaker in a Murshidabad village: She told Bengal’s chief electoral officer Manoj Agarwal, outside her home in Mahestla, Beldnaga. “Take steps to include the names deleted in the SIR; this is my request,” said Taslima Biwi. “When these people have at least two to three of the 16 listed documents (actually 14), why should their names not be on the rolls?”
“Flanked by armed central force personnel and followed by a crowd, the CEO stopped outside Taslima’s home and asked her whether there was an atmosphere of fear or intimidation in the village. Taslima, who seemed unfazed by the sight of the gun-toting jawans, did not bother to answer Agarwal. Instead, she put him in the dock.
“My request is simple: Make immediate efforts to include their names in the voters’ list. We will not be happy to see some people cry while others smile on polling day,” she said, gesturing with her hands. “We live together peacefully and will keep living that way. My request, therefore, is to immediately include all genuine voters in the electoral rolls…”
So why does it seem that the BJP will yet again rub its nose in the mud, despite Gyanesh Kumar, the hype and the hyperbole, the money and muscle power?
On top of it, Mr M chose to go fishing in murky waters: “In the 15 years of its rule, TMC has not even been able to provide you with fish….. This too is an example of the TMC’s corruption,” he said.
In a tit for tat, Mamata Banerjee replied: What about the fact that they themselves do not allow fish in Bihar, UP, Rajasthan? In Delhi, shops selling fish and meat are attacked,” she said in a rally in North 24-Parganas. “You do not let people speak in Bengali. Are you not ashamed of it? And then you come to (give) us a lesson on fish production? They need not worry about fish production in Bengal, but first answer why Bengalis in other states are stopped from eating fish or meat. I am not saying everyone must eat non-vegetarian (food), but food should be a personal choice. (Telegraph, April 10, 2026).
Well, it seems, Bengal (barring the frustrated, fanatic bhakts), will be celebrating with a variety of fish delicacies on the Victory Day of 4th of May, 2026, when the results will be declared. Here’s why.
Sources on the ground suggest the following reasons for the fall and fall of Mr M and his fledgling, faction-ridden party in Bengal. This has been corroborated by reporters and Shahnawaz Akhtar, Editor, enewsroom.in who is reporting from the ground since day one.
He said: “I have been focussing on SIR. My journalistic instinct told me this would trigger another Waterloo for the BJP. In the first deletion of 58 lakh voters, the majority were Hindus, including the Matuas, the majority of whom came from Bangladesh, even after the 1971 Bangladesh-liberation war. Already feeling betrayed by the BJP with the polarising CAA vehemently opposed in Bengal, they have been left to their fate, while Mamata Banerjee has made inroads into their community.”
He said that in the later deletions, leading to 90 plus lakh voters being disenfranchised, a huge chunk has been that of women and Muslims, both committed voter-base of TMC, including in rural Bengal. The total voters were 7.66 crore; now it is 6.77 crore after the deletions. Before this revision, women made up almost half of Bengal’s electorate, with about 968 female voters for every 1,000 men—around 49%. SIR data reflects that over 53% of the deletions have been women.
And, undoubtedly, most of them are ardent Mamata-fans. (I have reported the Bengal assembly polls for three months in 2021, I know.)
So what was legitimate has suddenly become illegitimate. How come?
Akhtar points out three other issues that have added to Bengal’s rage: “So, today you are not an Indian citizen, yesterday you were, and tomorrow, you are not sure if you will still remain so – what is this logic?”
Second. Gyanesh Kumar is hated in Bengal. He is presumed to be biased, and backing the BJP. And his “Get lost” has not helped his reputation.
Third, a recent sting operation went viral: An ex-TMC leader is seen saying: “BJP can get around 100 to 110 or 120 seats. BJP will not get 148 seats. Every time I had a discussion with Suvendu Adhikari (top leader of the BJP), I told him the same and he agreed with me. I have been told if I can get 70-80 seats, I will be the deputy chief minister,” said the look-alike leader, widely perceived to be Humayun Kabir, who was sacked from the TMC. He reportedly named Adhikari and an unknown individual in the PMO.
(The person resembling Kabir is heard demanding ₹1,000 crore of which ₹300 crore should be as advance to spend among the electorate before the polls as “it was done in Bihar.”) “Aap mujhe ek hazaar karod degi to aap ko poora fayda hoga. Mera seat to sattar-assi hogi. Aap ka seat 100-120 tak jaayegi. To Mamata Banerjee 100 ke neeche aaayegi. To main saaf saaf chunav ke baad logon ko samjhayunga Centre mein BJP hai. Tin terms jo Mamata Banerjee tha koi development nahin hua Mussalmanon ke liye… saara yeh Mussalman mera upar poora bharosa hai,” he is seen to be saying. (Telegraph, April 9, 2026)
This sting would sting the BJP bad. Now, the entire Muslim community would consolidate behind the TMC.
Finally, something not so visible in the mainstream media, is the expressed anger on the streets. Every district has witnessed rallies, protest marches, street-corner meetings against Gyanesh Kumar, perceived as a proxy for Mr M.
For more than 50 days now, there is a vigil on at Park Circus in the centre of Kolkata, Park Circus has strong memories. It was also the Bengal epicentre of the peaceful struggle by the mothers and daughters of Shaheen Bagh in Delhi.
That is, now it is for Bengal to say, loud and clear: Get Lost!
Thank you.
To SIR, with Love.
