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Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee alleged that the Election Commission was plotting with BJP to “exclude” genuine voters and tilt the political balance ahead of the 2026 polls
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee’s comments came as the West Bengal chief electoral officer held an all-party meeting on the SIR in the state. (Image: PTI/File)
Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee lashed out at the Election Commission of India over the voter list revision exercise, alleging that it was plotting with the BJP to “exclude” genuine voters and tilt the political balance ahead of the 2026 assembly polls.
Banerjee’s comments came as the West Bengal chief electoral officer (CEO) held an all-party meeting on the special intensive revision (SIR) in the state.
But the BJP was quick to hit back at the Trinamool Congress over its attack on the EC, urging the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) to respond to Banerjee’s “threats” and register an FIR against him in New Delhi.
“You will see what the TMC will do on the ground. We are not apprehensive about law and order, peace will prevail and the TMC will do what it has to,” Banerjee said during a press conference.
Calling the EC an “alliance organisation” of the BJP, he alleged the SIR has been declared through which “the government will decide who will vote”. He reiterated the TMC’s stand against the electoral roll revision.
“Our party’s stand is clear from the very first day that this SIR’s motive is exclusion of voters. The government is now going to decide who will vote; earlier, voters decided who will be in government,” he said.
The TMC MP said the existing voter lists were used for the 2024 general elections as well, so if there is any fault in it, then the Centre should dissolve the Lok Sabha.
“PM to HM to me, we all have been elected through this voter list. We should resign and then start SIR. In 2002, it took two years and now they will do it in two months,” he said.
He raised questions on the omission of Assam from the SIR list. The northeastern state will also go to polls alongside West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry next year.
“They have been clever to omit Assam because the BJP is in power there. How come it’s not taking place in Assam? How is this possible? All other border states like Tripura and Meghalaya don’t have SIR, but why only Bengal? If your motive is to deport Bangladeshis then why don’t you conduct SIR in other border states?” he alleged.
Banerjee further said the TMC will not allow the deletion of genuine voters from the electoral rolls and, if that happens, it will march to Delhi and gherao EC office.
“Come what may, we will increase our seats even after SIR and you (BJP) will be below 50. Through SIR, you want to do back-door NRC,” he said.
Directly addressing Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, he told him not to compare West Bengal with other states. “The government will change Mr Gyanesh Kumar, then we will see,” he added.
WHAT DID THE BJP SAY?
The BJP, meanwhile, responded to Banerjee’s comments and called them “threats” to the EC and Gyanesh Kumar. Party leader Sukanta Majumdar urged Kumar to lodge a complaint against Banerjee. He said if “anything untoward” happens to the CEC, the TMC leader should be held responsible.
“It should be noted how Abhishek Banerjee has threatened the EC. For his own safety, the CEC should register an FIR against him in Delhi, so that if anything untoward happens to him in future, Abhishek will be held responsible,” Majumdar said in a video message.
Majumdar the alleged threats issued by Banerjee show that he is a “goonda” (thug). He said the poll body is simply doing its job by conducting the SIR, which aims to identify genuine voters.
“This is what democracy is all about, it’s what’s written in the Constitution. Have you (Abhishek Banerjee) even read the Constitution? You are advocating voting rights for those who have come for Bangladesh, the Rohingyas from Myanmar, who are not citizens of India. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? Do you even understand the Constitution?” he said.
On Monday (October 27), the EC announced that it will conduct the second phase of the SIR in 12 states and union territories. In this pan-India exercise, three states and one UT – Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry – will go to polls next year, while three states – Goa, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh – will have elections in 2027.
Kamalika Sengupta is the Editor (East) at CNN-News18 / News18.com, focusing on politics, defence, and women’s issues. She is a seasoned multimedia journalist with over 20 years of experience reporting from East…Read More
Kamalika Sengupta is the Editor (East) at CNN-News18 / News18.com, focusing on politics, defence, and women’s issues. She is a seasoned multimedia journalist with over 20 years of experience reporting from East… Read More
October 28, 2025, 19:34 IST
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