Actor Swastika Mukherjee, who predominantly works in Bengali cinemaand has appeared in Bollywood projects like Paatal Lok and Qala, has shared that she won’t be able to cast her vote in the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026. While speaking to News18 Bangla, the actor shared that she did not have the time or opportunity to ensure her name was listed after what happened two years ago.
In 2024, both she and her sister (Ajopa Mukherjee) were unable to cast their votes. While Swastika had lost her voting card, her sister, despite having a voting card couldn’t exercise her right to vote.
What Swastika said
During the chat, Swastika said, “I am certain that my name is not on the voter list. To make my name appear on the list, I have to make calls to a few people and stay at home during that process. I did not have the time or the opportunity to do those things.”
She went on to add that she is hopeful that she will cast her vote next time. “If my name is there on the voters list next time, I will definitely vote.”
In 2024, the actor has taken to her Instagram to share her ordeal of not being able to vote. “While I lost my Voter ID card, my sister Ajopa has her I-card and she voted last year. This year, our names are not there on the electoral roll. I have never seen anything more disgusting than this.”
Swastika said that her parents’ names are still there on the roll but their names are missing. “Not only our parents but the other elderly people, who are practically immobile, are there on the list. People who have not been alive for years are still there on the list. But our names are not there,” she added.
About West Bengal Elections
West Bengal polls are underway in the state with the first phase taking place currently across 152 seats in 16 districts. The polling time for the first phase of Bengal polls is from 7 am today till 6 pm. As chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress is seeking reelection, the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to unseat its rival from power.
At an election rally at Dum Dum in the eastern fringes of Kolkata, Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a sharp attack on Mamata Banerjee, accusing her party of using “infiltrators as a vote bank”. Meanwhile, senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee accused Shah of disrespecting women through how he addressed Mamata Banerjee as ‘Ayeee Didi’.