Desk Correspondent , Kolkata - West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has approached the Supreme Court, alleging that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) lost 31 seats in the recent elections due to the arbitrary deletion of names from the electoral rolls. The special leave petition claims that in these specific constituencies, the margin of victory for the winning candidates was lower than the total number of "suo motu" deletions carried out by election authorities. The party argues that these deletions were executed without proper verification or notice to the affected voters, potentially altering the democratic outcome.

The petition highlights a pattern where thousands of voters were purportedly removed from the registers, particularly in areas considered TMC strongholds. Banerjee’s legal team contends that the Election Commission failed to follow due process, asserting that if these voters had been allowed to exercise their franchise, the results in those 31 seats could have favored the ruling party. The plea seeks a detailed audit of the voter list revisions and an explanation for the high volume of deletions concentrated in closely contested districts.

This legal challenge intensifies the ongoing friction between the West Bengal government and the poll body regarding electoral integrity. While the opposition has previously dismissed such claims as an attempt to deflect from electoral losses, the Supreme Court’s intervention is now being sought to establish stricter protocols for "suo motu" removals. The court is expected to hear the matter soon, as the TMC pushes for a restoration of faith in the state's electoral process and accountability for the discrepancies cited.