Reports of harassment during Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearings are emerging from several districts, triggering strong reactions from the Trinamool Congress. The party has termed the voter list revision process 'unplanned' and 'non-transparent,' alleging serious irregularities. A ten-member TMC delegation met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on December 31 and raised ten separate issues. On Sunday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also wrote to the CEC, flagging multiple concerns.
Allegations over voter deletion and hearings
In her letter, Mamata Banerjee alleged that voters' names are being deleted due to technical faults and without the knowledge of the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO). She also claimed that people marked as having 'logical discrepancies' or labelled as 'suspicious voters' are being summoned for hearings, where various documents are being checked. In several cases, documents are being sourced from different districts or even other states, leading to long delays. Many citizens fear that the hearing deadlines may expire before verification is completed.
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Questions on document rules and EC's role
Referring to the SIR process in Bihar, the Chief Minister pointed out that documents like the family register or genealogy are accepted there, but are reportedly being rejected in West Bengal. She questioned why different standards are being applied and sought clarity on the Election Commission's role. Banerjee also recalled her earlier letter, in which she had raised concerns over the deaths of BLOs after the SIR began and the construction of polling booths in multi-storey residential buildings.
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Mamata Banerjee posts on social media
Subsequently, the West Bengal Chief Minister posted the letter on her social media handles and issued a statement. She wrote on Facebook, "I have written to the Chief Election Commissioner, Shri Gyanesh Kumar, expressing my serious constitutional concerns regarding the manner in which the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is being conducted in Bengal."
The Chief Minister added, "The exercise is suffering from procedural opacity, administrative arbitrariness, and a troubling informality that has no place in constitutional democracy. Reports of inconsistent guidelines, unreliable IT systems, unauthorised backend deletions, and citizens, especially senior, infirm, and migrant workers, being summoned without stated reasons or adequate facilitation, raise legitimate fears of disenfranchisement and discrimination."
She further wrote, "Democracy must function through clarity and transparency, not informal directives or shifting goalposts. The integrity of the electoral process cannot be compromised, nor can citizens be subjected to avoidable hardship or uncertainty. I have urged the Commission to immediately halt this process in its present form, reassess its framework, and restore public faith in free and fair elections."
Mamata Banerjee ended her post with, "The democratic rights of every citizen of Bengal are non-negotiable, and I will continue to defend them."
