West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee accused the Election Commission of targeting Opposition-ruled states through a rushed voter roll revision, alleging mass deletions, misuse of AI and disrespect during talks with the Chief Election Commissioner.
CM Banerjee said the voter list revision was taking place only in non-BJP states
New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday renewed her attack on the Election Commission (EC), alleging irregularities in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the poll-bound state.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, a day after meeting the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Banerjee claimed the exercise was being selectively carried out in Opposition-ruled states and rushed without adequate preparation.
Banerjee questioned the timing and scope of the voter list revision, stating that it was being undertaken just months ahead of elections. She argued that such a large-scale exercise could not be completed fairly within a short timeframe without proper planning, training, mapping and infrastructure.
Mamata Banerjee Takes SIR Battle to Delhi, Targets Election Commission Over Voter List Row
Pointing to upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam, the Chief Minister alleged that SIR was being conducted only in Opposition-ruled states, excluding Assam, which is governed by the BJP. She described the approach as discriminatory and politically motivated.
The Chief Minister further alleged that a large number of names had already been deleted from the electoral rolls without giving affected voters an opportunity to respond. She claimed that during the initial phase of the exercise, nearly 58 lakh names were removed, leaving many citizens without a chance to verify or defend their voter status.
Banerjee also raised concerns over the alleged use of artificial intelligence in the process, claiming that technology was being applied without proper ground-level verification. According to her, such practices risk disenfranchising genuine voters ahead of the elections.
The controversy escalated on Monday when a Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation walked out of a meeting with the Chief Election Commissioner midway, alleging that they were treated with disrespect. Banerjee later described CEC Gyanesh Kumar as “arrogant” and accused him of being dishonest in his handling of the issue.
The delegation was accompanied by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and families of individuals allegedly affected by the SIR process. This included people whose names were reportedly removed after being declared dead, relatives of those who received SIR notices posthumously, and families of Booth Level Officers who allegedly died under work-related pressure.
Expressing disappointment after the meeting, Banerjee said she had never encountered such conduct from an Election Commissioner despite her long experience in national politics. She questioned why West Bengal was being singled out and reiterated that elections should be conducted in a transparent and inclusive manner.
She asserted that removing names from voter lists without due process undermines democratic values and demanded accountability from the Election Commission over the conduct of the SIR exercise.
