Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament Abhishek Banerjee launched a sharp critique against the Election Commission of India on Wednesday, accusing the poll body of failing to provide satisfactory answers during a crucial meeting regarding the revision of voter lists in West Bengal.
A Marathon Meeting With No Clear Outcome
Banerjee expressed his frustration following a two-and-a-half-hour discussion with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi. The meeting, which began at 12:00 PM, was convened to address a series of eight to ten concerns raised by the TMC related to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.
According to the MP, the lengthy dialogue yielded "no concrete answer to anything" apart from minor clarity on just two or three points. He highlighted that this was a repeat of a previous meeting held on November 28th, where a ten-member TMC delegation had posed five questions but received no precise responses.
Allegations of Topic Diversion and Selective Leaks
Banerjee made a significant allegation that whenever he tried to steer the conversation towards the core issue of the SIR, EC officials shifted the discussion to unrelated topics like citizenship. This, he claimed, prevented a substantive examination of the voter list revision process.
The TMC leader also revisited the events of the last meeting, accusing the Election Commission of selectively leaking information to certain journalists. "That same night, the Election Commission selectively leaked information to some journalists, claiming that they had answered every question," Banerjee stated. He countered this by asserting that the party possesses digital evidence proving no answers were provided.
Concerns Over Harassment and Massive Deletions
During the meeting, the TMC delegation raised serious concerns about senior citizens facing harassment during the SIR exercise. The process has already led to a staggering figure: over 58.2 lakh (5.82 million) names have been deleted from the electoral rolls during the enumeration period.
The claims and objections phase for this revision is scheduled to conclude on January 15, 2026, leaving a long window for further changes and disputes. The scale of the deletions has become a major political flashpoint in the state.
Mounting Tensions Ahead of Electoral Battles
This confrontation underscores the escalating tensions between the ruling party in West Bengal and the central election authority. The SIR process, intended to clean up voter lists, is now mired in allegations of opacity and unresponsiveness. Banerjee's public criticism places the Election Commission under intense scrutiny regarding its handling of a sensitive democratic exercise in a key state.
The failure to secure clear answers, as claimed by the TMC, points to a deepening communication gap. With the claims and objections phase open for an extended period, the controversy is likely to persist, setting the stage for further political and legal challenges concerning the integrity of West Bengal's electoral roll.
