A major political confrontation has erupted between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal. The clash, led by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, sets the stage for a bitter battle ahead of the state's upcoming assembly elections.
Heated Exchange at Election Commission Office
On Wednesday, a TMC delegation led by Abhishek Banerjee met with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi. The meeting quickly turned acrimonious. Abhishek Banerjee, standing at the gate of the ECI office after the meeting, launched a sharp public attack on the CEC.
He accused Gyanesh Kumar of "losing his temper" and "raising fingers at party members" during the discussion. In a dramatic challenge, Banerjee stated, "You are a nominated official, but I am an elected representative. You are answerable to your masters, but I am answerable to the masses who elected me." He dared the CEC to release the footage of the meeting and come down to face the media to rebut his allegations directly, instead of making "selective leaks after 8 pm."
Core Issues: Massive Deletions and 'Logical Discrepancies'
The heart of the dispute lies in the draft electoral rolls released by the ECI in December. The data reveals a staggering 58,20,899 names provisionally deleted, constituting about 7.59% of the West Bengal electorate. The deletions are attributed to reasons like death, permanent migration, or untraceability.
Furthermore, the Commission has flagged approximately 1.36 crore entries for "logical discrepancies" and categorized another 30 lakh voters as "unmapped." A significant percentage of these voters are likely to be called for verification hearings. The TMC has raised serious concerns about the scale of these actions, alleging potential mass disenfranchisement of legitimate voters.
Abhishek Banerjee questioned the very basis of the "logical discrepancy" category, demanding that the list of voters under this tag be published. He also insisted that the ECI disclose the methodology and legal authority used to create this category, accusing the poll body of weaponising the voter list to help the BJP.
Escalating Rhetoric and Legal Threats
The TMC's offensive is part of a sustained campaign. The party referenced a previous meeting on November 28, where they claim to have asked five questions but received no precise answers. They accused the EC of selectively leaking information to journalists afterward.
In response, EC officials stated that the TMC delegation was clearly told that intimidation of electoral staff by ground-level political workers would not be tolerated. They also emphasized that the West Bengal government should immediately release the enhanced honorarium to each Booth Level Officer (BLO).
The political stakes are high. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has already termed the SIR exercise a huge "scam" conducted with the help of artificial intelligence. She has warned of a gherao (siege) of the Election Commission's Delhi office if even one legitimate voter is deleted. The TMC has declared it will not accept the final voter list if discrepancies remain and is prepared to "fight it legally."
With the final publication of electoral rolls set for February 14, 2026, the Special Intensive Revision is poised for a very rough ride in West Bengal, with the ruling party piling unrelenting pressure on the constitutional body tasked with conducting free and fair elections.
