SIR Controversy Tilts Bengal Contest In TMC’s Favour: Ghose
https://img-2.outlookindia.com/outlook-money-magazine/summy-art-lg.svgSummary of this article
[*]Sagarika Ghose argued that local anti-incumbency in West Bengal has been overshadowed by backlash against the SIR exercise, giving TMC an edge over Bharatiya Janata Party.
[*]Mamata Banerjee faces no major voter dissatisfaction, though some resentment existed against local leaders, addressed by dropping 74 sitting MLAs.
TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose said that localised anti-incumbency in West Bengal has largely been overshadowed by the fallout of the SIR exercise, giving the party a clear edge over the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
The journalist-turned-politician, who has been named among the TMC’s star campaigners, asserted that Mamata Banerjee does not face any significant disenchantment among her supporters. However, she acknowledged that some dissatisfaction may have existed at the local level, particularly among leaders who have since been replaced as candidates.
In its list of 291 candidates announced on March 17, the TMC dropped 74 sitting MLAs—nearly a third of its legislative strength—signalling a calibrated attempt to counter anti-incumbency.
"The BJP's agenda was to use the SIR process to defeat Mamata Banerjee and capture West Bengal by any means possible, since she has been continuously defeating the saffron party for the last 15 years.
"The exercise has now turned on its head, handing TMC a distinct advantage. If there was any local-level anti-incumbency brewing at all, that has been completely obscured by the SIR exercise. It was a gross mistake that the BJP committed," Ghose told PTI.
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"Let them delete as many names as they want. We will still win," she added.
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Assembly Elections 2026: As Mamata Takes Centre Stage, BJP Goes For Final Push, SIR, Identity & Welfarism In Focus
BY Agnideb Bandyopadhyay
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