West Bengal Chief Minister Levels Serious Allegations Against Election Commission
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made explosive allegations on Tuesday. She claimed the Election Commission has unilaterally deleted fifty-four lakh names from the draft electoral rolls. This happened during the special intensive revision process in the state.
Press Conference Revelations at Nabanna
Addressing journalists at the state secretariat Nabanna, Banerjee presented her case forcefully. She stated that the Election Commission misused the powers of electoral registration officers. According to her, the majority of those removed were genuine electors. These individuals received no opportunity to defend themselves. The authorities did not inform them about the grounds for deletion.
"The Election Commission, while sitting in Delhi, used AI tools devised by the BJP to delete names," Banerjee alleged. She explained that these artificial intelligence software accounted for name mismatches in SIR data. The software particularly targeted women who changed their surnames after marriage.
Questioning the Verification Process
The Trinamool Congress supremo raised further concerns about the verification methodology. She claimed that "logical discrepancy" was not part of the original SIR verification process. According to her, officials included this criterion as an afterthought. This addition served to increase the number of deletions.
Banerjee made another startling allegation about future plans. She stated that the "BJP-EC nexus" was planning to remove another one crore names. These deletions would occur from the final electoral rolls.
Restrictions on Booth Level Agents
The chief minister also criticized the Election Commission's handling of verification agents. She accused the poll body of restricting the role of booth level agents during the exercise. "The EC has not allowed BLA-2s to attend hearings because the BJP couldn't amass its workers to do the job," she said.
Political Tensions Escalate in West Bengal
These comments emerge amid heightened political tensions in West Bengal. The ongoing voter list revision exercise has become a major flashpoint. The Trinamool Congress has repeatedly alleged that the process targets certain sections of voters. The party claims the exercise aims to disenfranchise specific demographic groups.
The Election Commission has not responded to Banerjee's allegations so far. Political observers are watching closely as the controversy develops. This situation adds another layer of complexity to West Bengal's political landscape ahead of future elections.
