West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has escalated her confrontation with the Election Commission of India by sending a second strongly-worded letter within days, raising serious concerns about the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in the state.
Questioning Election Commission Decisions
In her latest communication dated November 24, the Trinamool Congress supremo flagged two disturbing developments that she claims could compromise the fairness of the electoral process. The Chief Minister specifically questioned the centralised Request for Proposal issued by the chief electoral officer for outsourcing data personnel for SIR and election-related work.
Mamata Banerjee revealed that the chief election commissioner had barred the use of contractual data-entry operators and Bangla Sahayata Kendra staff for SIR or election-related data tasks. Instead, the West Bengal chief electoral officer has floated a request to outsource 1,000 data-entry operators and 50 software developers for an entire year.
"When district offices already have a substantial number of competent professionals performing such functions, what necessitates the CEO's initiative to outsource the same work through an external agency for a full year?" the CM questioned in her letter, repeatedly asking "Why? Why? Why?" about the decisions.
Objections to Private Polling Stations
The West Bengal Chief Minister also raised strong objections to the proposed setting up of polling stations inside private housing complexes, describing these plans as "disturbing, yet urgent developments." She expressed concerns about how such arrangements could affect voter access and the overall transparency of the voting process.
Mamata Banerjee warned that the implications of these decisions would be far-reaching and claimed they would "have severe impact on the fairness of the electoral process" in West Bengal. Her letter represents the latest chapter in the ongoing tension between the state government and election authorities.
Previous Warnings and Political Sparring
This latest communication comes just days after her previous letter dated November 20, where the Chief Minister had requested CEC Gyanesh Kumar to immediately halt the SIR exercise in the state, calling it "chaotic, coercive and dangerous."
Mamata Banerjee mentioned that she has "time and again" raised concerns over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls and is now "compelled to write" because the situation has reached a "deeply alarming stage." She alleged that the SIR in Bengal is being carried out in an unplanned, dangerous manner that has crippled the process from day one.
The political confrontation has intensified with BJP leaders countering the TMC's objections. Union minister and BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar claimed on Sunday that the TMC has been opposing the special intensive revision of electoral rolls to protect "crores of unauthorised voters."
While addressing a gathering at the Parivartan Yatra in Paschim Medinipur's Mohanpur, Majumdar asserted that the SIR had been "welcomed" by the "bonafide" citizens of West Bengal but was being opposed by TMC leaders.
The SIR process, which began on November 4, is currently underway across West Bengal. The critical house-to-house enumeration phase will conclude on December 4, with the publication of draft electoral roll scheduled for December 9, according to the election commission's website.
