NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday took a jibe at Mamata Banerjee’s reported outreach to the CPM amid the ongoing row over the Election Commission, saying the former chief minister was trying to find a role in the opposition INDIA bloc after losing power in the state.Speaking to reporters, West Bengal minister Dilip Ghosh said CPM leaders had earlier tried to reach out to Mamata, but she had never spoken to them. He said the political equations had now changed.”Earlier, when they would call Mamata Banerjee, she never spoke to them. Now the situation is reversed. She seems to be approaching them or expecting a call from them,” the West Bengal minister said.”As she has no role here, she is trying to play a role somewhere else,” he added.The ongoing row over the Election Commission has brought West Bengal’s bitter political rivals, the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC and the CPM, on the same page.CPM general secretary M A Baby spoke to Mamata, who agreed that the situation warranted coordinated action.Meanwhile, INDIA bloc parties are likely to meet in New Delhi on September 30 to discuss concerns over the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, besides other issues, news agency PTI reported, citing sources.The proposed meeting comes amid increased coordination among opposition parties over the Election Commission, following reports of differences within the poll panel over aspects of the SIR exercise.Opposition parties are also working on a fresh removal notice against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, which is likely to be submitted in both Houses of Parliament after being vetted by legal experts. It would be the third such attempt by the opposition.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe latest mobilisation follows an Indian Express report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on several occasions over decisions and orders related to the SIR.The Election Commission has said that differing views and observations are a normal part of institutional deliberations and asserted that its orders have full legal sanction and follow statutory procedures.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorRohitashwa RanjanRohitashwa Ranjan is a digital journalist with The Times of India, where he decodes Indian politics as a carefully staged production with scripts, subtext and everything behind. His stories track elections, party dynamics and the things that often are buried beneath the headlines. When not parsing vote shares or alliances, he is usually reading between the lines, where the real story tends to reside.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosTibet Govt-in-Exile Reprimands Activist Sonam Wangchuk, Calls Comparison ‘Misplaced and Inaccurate’India’s Savage ‘Osama’ Reply To Pak PM’s UN Bluster; ‘Repeating Lies Won’t Make It True’‘A Terrorist Country Asking Me That Question’: Jaishankar’s Sharp Reply To Pak Journalist At UN’SIR’ Under Fire? IIT-Bombay, Election Commission Face Accountability Questions | PrasangMassive Protest Erupts At Delhi’s Jantar Mantar Against Gyanesh Kumar Over EC-SIR RowUAPA ‘Missing’: What Allowed VanDyke, 6 Ukrainians To Leave India? The Legal Gap Explained‘Made In UP’ Missiles Giving Pakistan Sleepless Nights: Amit Shah On BrahMosOmar Abdullah Moves Full Statehood Resolution In J&K Assembly, BJP Protest Sparks House UproarThird Bihar Harassment Case In A Week: Minor Girl Targeted In Banka, Video Surfaces’You Cannot Keep Playing’: CJP’s Dipke Challenges Opposition Over Alleged Election Rigging123Hot PicksMandeep K BhandariBank strikeNEET PG ResultGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysTN programmePunjab school holidayMadurantakam bypollDr MonishCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingNorma DumontRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court
NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday took a jibe at Mamata Banerjee’s reported outreach to the CPM amid the ongoing row over the Election Commission, saying the former chief minister was trying to find a role in the opposition INDIA bloc after losing power in the state.Speaking to reporters, West Bengal minister Dilip Ghosh said CPM leaders had earlier tried to reach out to Mamata, but she had never spoken to them. He said the political equations had now changed.“Earlier, when they would call Mamata Banerjee, she never spoke to them. Now the situation is reversed. She seems to be approaching them or expecting a call from them,” the West Bengal minister said.“As she has no role here, she is trying to play a role somewhere else,” he added.The ongoing row over the Election Commission has brought West Bengal’s bitter political rivals, the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC and the CPM, on the same page.CPM general secretary M A Baby spoke to Mamata, who agreed that the situation warranted coordinated action.Meanwhile, INDIA bloc parties are likely to meet in New Delhi on September 30 to discuss concerns over the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, besides other issues, news agency PTI reported, citing sources.The proposed meeting comes amid increased coordination among opposition parties over the Election Commission, following reports of differences within the poll panel over aspects of the SIR exercise.Opposition parties are also working on a fresh removal notice against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, which is likely to be submitted in both Houses of Parliament after being vetted by legal experts. It would be the third such attempt by the opposition.
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The latest mobilisation follows an Indian Express report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on several occasions over decisions and orders related to the SIR.The Election Commission has said that differing views and observations are a normal part of institutional deliberations and asserted that its orders have full legal sanction and follow statutory procedures.
