West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the BJP of attempting to register 20,000 to 30,000 fake voters in every assembly constituency across the state ahead of the 2026 assembly elections.

Speaking at a public event, Banerjee claimed that outsiders were being brought in to manipulate the electoral rolls, warning that her party would thwart such efforts.

The Chief Minister accused the BJP of using “similar tactics” in Delhi and Maharashtra by enrolling fake voters from other states to manipulate election outcomes. She alleged that the BJP is now attempting to replicate these strategies in West Bengal to secure an unfair advantage in the upcoming elections.

“In Delhi and Maharashtra, the BJP won elections by enrolling fake voters from Haryana and Gujarat. Now, they plan to bring these fake voters to Bengal, knowing they cannot win here if the elections are conducted freely and fairly,” Banerjee claimed during a public address.

She further alleged that the BJP, with the help of the Election Commission (EC), is ensuring the enrollment of fake voters from other states in various districts of West Bengal. “We will identify these fake voters who have been enrolled with the BJP’s assistance. We will not allow outsiders to capture Bengal,” Banerjee asserted, vowing to protect the state’s electoral integrity.

“Officials have come to Bengal and are sitting here to register 20,000 to 30,000 fake voters in every assembly seat. The Election Commission of India will conduct the polls by deploying central forces. Voters who do not belong to Bengal will come and cast their votes. We will foil your plans,” Banerjee said without naming any specific party. She further alleged that voters from Bihar were being registered in West Bengal through online processes.

BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, dismissed Banerjee’s allegations, questioning her awareness of the electoral process. “She has been the chief minister for 14 years. Does she even know what she is saying? The district magistrates are the registration officers for the electoral rolls. We have identified 1.6 million duplicate voters, and we will ensure their names are deleted before the 2026 polls,” Adhikari stated.

The controversy over voter registration comes amid similar allegations made by other opposition leaders. Last week, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi raised concerns about discrepancies in the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections, claiming that over 39 lakh voters were added to the electoral rolls within five months. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance had secured a landslide victory in those elections.

Earlier, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal had accused the BJP of manipulating Delhi’s electoral rolls by registering “fake” voters from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar ahead of the Delhi assembly elections.

With the West Bengal assembly elections scheduled for next year, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has vowed to verify voter lists to identify and remove fake entries. “Our workers will verify whether the voters actually exist or if fake voters from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are being registered. We will fight against this. The chief minister has instructed us,” said TMC leader and state Agriculture Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay.

The BJP, however, countered by claiming that they have already identified around 1.6 million fake voters in the state and are working to have them removed from the electoral rolls.

Her remarks come amid escalating political tensions in West Bengal, with both the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP preparing for a high-stakes electoral battle. The TMC has accused the BJP of attempting to undermine the democratic process, while the BJP has countered by alleging that the TMC is trying to divert attention from its own governance failures.