A delegation from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) confronted the Election Commission of India on Friday, levelling grave allegations concerning the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. The party alleged that the process has led to 40 deaths, including those of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), and directly accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and his colleagues of having "blood on their hands."
Serious Allegations and a Lack of Answers
Leading the delegation, Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien stated that the party posed five critical questions to the commission but did not get any answers, despite the CEC speaking for an hour. The TMP clarified that it is not against the SIR in principle but is protesting the "unplanned manner" and "heartless" execution by the EC. The party claimed the Commission dismissed their submissions about the fatalities as mere allegations.
Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra, another delegation member, highlighted the plight of the BLOs. The TMC alleged that across several states, numerous BLOs have lost their lives performing SIR duties, with some even forced to commit suicide due to the "inhuman pressure" exerted by the Election Commission.
Questions of Bias and Neutrality
The Trinamool Congress raised strong concerns about a perceived anti-West Bengal bias. The party questioned why Bengal was the only border state subjected to such intense scrutiny under the SIR, while the exercise was watered down to a "special revision" in Assam and non-existent in other northeastern border states. They asked if the true intent was to "cast doubt on the very identity of Bengalis" and push them out of the electoral rolls.
Furthermore, the TMC challenged the EC's neutrality, alleging that frivolous issues raised by the BJP are treated with utmost seriousness. The party accused the Commission of tampering with sacrosanct rules like the Model Code of Conduct in Bihar to help the BJP. In Bengal, the TMC claimed, BJP leaders are openly stating that one crore voters' names will be deleted, and the EC has taken no action to negate this fear-mongering.
Escalating Political Confrontation
The confrontation escalated later in the evening when TMC's Lok Sabha leader, Abhishek Banerjee, alleged that the Election Commission is "deliberately planting selective leaks" to falsely claim it provided a point-by-point rebuttal. He branded these assertions as "outright lies."
The party also posed a provocative question regarding the reliability of the existing electoral rolls used in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. If these rolls are now deemed unreliable, the TMC asked, "Why not dissolve the Lok Sabha" that was elected by these same voters? This series of allegations marks a significant intensification of the political dispute between the ruling party of West Bengal and the constitutional body tasked with overseeing the nation's elections.
