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Banerjee has accused the Election Commission of acting as the ‘BJP’s commission’ and urged genuine voters of West Bengal not to be afraid of the SIR
Mamata Banerjee’s communication to the CEC has been direct, raising what she terms ‘legitimate doubts’ over the fairness and transparency of the process. File Image
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, currently underway in nine states and three Union Territories, has exploded into a major political crisis in West Bengal, spearheaded by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s sustained attacks against the Election Commission of India (ECI). Labelling the exercise as “votebandi“—a term implying deliberate disenfranchisement—Banerjee’s aggressive posture has been met with fierce resistance from the BJP.
“If they hurt me, I will show what I can do. I will shake things up. I will move around India after the election,” Mamata said on Tuesday, attacking the BJP. The TMC chairperson also declared that she would embark on a nationwide yatra against the Special Intensive Revision.
She further added, “Bangla has the guts that Bangla will capture the power in Delhi.”
Banerjee accused the Election Commission of acting as the “BJP’s commission” and urged genuine voters of the state not to be afraid of the SIR.
Amid the raging controversy, the ECI on Tuesday granted an appointment to a delegation from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for a meeting at Nirvachan Sadan on November 28 at 11 am. This decision follows a formal request made by TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP and parliamentary party leader, Derek O’Brien, in a letter dated November 23. The ECI’s gesture of engagement comes even as CEC Gyanesh Kumar has yet to formally respond to two highly critical letters sent by the Chief Minister within the last five days.
Mamata’s Charges
Mamata Banerjee’s communication to the CEC has been direct, raising what she terms “legitimate doubts” over the fairness and transparency of the process. In her initial letter on November 20, she had urged the CEC to “halt the SIR”, calling the exercise “chaotic, coercive and dangerous”. She highlighted the severe mental and physical stress placed on Booth Level Officers (BLOs), citing tragic incidents of suicide in various states, including West Bengal, that were allegedly linked to the extreme workload and deadlines of the SIR.
Her second letter, dated November 24, escalated the allegations, questioning specific administrative decisions:
Private Data Operators: She questioned the decision to bypass existing contractual and Bangla Sahayata Kendra (BSK) staff and float a Request for Proposal to hire 1,000 new data entry operators and 50 software developers for a year. “Is this exercise being undertaken at the behest of a political party to serve vested interests?” she pointedly asked.
Polling Stations in Private Complexes: Banerjee raised alarms over the poll panel’s consideration of setting up polling stations within private residential complexes, urging the CEC to explain why such a move was being contemplated and if it was being done “under the pressure from a political party to advance their partisan interests.” She demanded that the ECI maintain its neutrality and credibility above all reproach.
Abhishek Banerjee’s Push
TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee has also spearheaded the party’s pushback, going so far as to threaten massive democratic protests. In public statements and strongly worded letters to the EC, he has dubbed the exercise “Silent Invisible Rigging (SIR)” and a “BJP ploy to select voters”.
Abhishek Banerjee’s chief arguments include questioning the ECI’s rationale for only targeting West Bengal and other specific states, while excluding others that share borders with Bangladesh. He has explicitly held CEC Gyanesh Kumar and Union Home Minister Amit Shah responsible for the anxiety and alleged deaths stemming from the process. His warning is unequivocal: “If they dare to strike even a single legitimate voter’s name off Bengal’s list through the SIR, we will show what Bengal can do when democracy is challenged.”
BJP Rebuttal
In response, the BJP has launched a robust defence of the ECI and the revision process. BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya took to X to vehemently attack the Chief Minister, stating that the “caretaker CM” was escalating from “bullying BLOs to threatening the CEO”. He dismissed her concerns as political posturing, claiming her “pot of sins is overflowing” and that her opposition to the SIR is driven by a desire to “derail the SIR if that’s what it takes” to protect an allegedly manufactured voter base. The BJP has consistently argued that the TMC’s panic stems from the fact that a cleanup will expose and remove large numbers of duplicate, deceased, and ineligible voters, including illegal migrants, thereby undermining the TMC’s electoral advantage.
With the ECI now agreeing to meet the TMC delegation on November 28, the focus shifts to Nirvachan Sadan for a potential political showdown over the legitimacy and execution of the electoral roll revision.
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
November 25, 2025, 17:42 IST
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