Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Apr 17: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday defended the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, stating that the exercise includes constitutional safeguards for individuals to seek corrections or appeal if they are wrongly excluded.

Referring to observations by the Supreme Court of India, he noted that while the court had commented on the process, it had not stayed it. Fadnavis added that such revisions should ideally be conducted every ten years to remove names of deceased, relocated or ineligible voters.

Targeting the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), he alleged that the party’s opposition to the revision was politically motivated and aimed at gaining an advantage in the upcoming elections through “fraudulent means”.

Responding to allegations by TMC regarding attacks on Bengali-speaking migrants in BJP-ruled states, including Maharashtra, Fadnavis denied the claims. However, he said the migration of people from West Bengal to other states in search of employment raised concerns about job opportunities in their home state.

He also highlighted the presence of large Bengali communities in cities such as Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur, noting that festivals like Durga Puja and Kali Puja are celebrated on a grand scale, comparable to celebrations in Kolkata.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced that 2,926 candidates will contest the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections. Voting will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with results scheduled for May 4.

As per official data, 1,478 candidates across 152 constituencies will contest in Phase 1, while 1,448 candidates across 142 constituencies are in the fray for Phase 2.

The high-stakes election is expected to witness a fierce contest between the ruling TMC, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is aiming to form the government after improving its performance in the previous election.