Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee led a high-level delegation to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday, raising serious objections to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. The meeting, however, was marked by allegations of an "aggressive" stance from the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and a firm declaration from the TMC that it would legally challenge the final voter list if discrepancies are found.
A Heated Confrontation and Serious Allegations
The ten-member TMC team, which included Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien, Lok Sabha members Saket Gokhale, Ritabrata Banerjee, and Mamata Thakur, along with state ministers Manas Bhunia, Pradip Mazumdar, and Chandrima Bhattacharya, presented their grievances. The national general secretary of the party, Abhishek Banerjee, claimed that their concerns were not being addressed and the atmosphere turned confrontational.
Speaking about the conduct of the Chief Election Commissioner, Banerjee alleged, "When we started talking, he started losing his temper." He further contrasted their positions by stating, "I said you are nominated, I am elected." Challenging the EC's version of events, Banerjee dared the panel to release the footage of the meeting.
The Core Issue: 'Vote Theft' via Electoral Rolls
Banerjee shifted the focus of electoral malpractice allegations from Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to the voter list itself. He asserted that "vote chori" (vote theft) is now happening through the manipulation of electoral rolls and not through EVMs. He claimed that opposition parties could have won states like Maharashtra, Haryana, and Bihar had they aggressively raised this issue.
The TMC leader questioned the EC's methodology, particularly the retroactive introduction of a new category called "logical discrepancies." This has led to 1.36 crore voters in Bengal being summoned for hearings on grounds such as mismatched father's names or questionable age gaps between parents and children. The party has urged that senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and those with comorbidities be given hearings at home instead of being called in.
Political Conspiracy and a Legal Ultimatum
Banerjee framed the large-scale revision as a "conspiracy to malign" West Bengal, where the "bogey of infiltration" is being raised. He directly challenged the poll panel to identify how many Bangladeshis or Rohingyas were among the 58 lakh names dropped from the draft electoral roll, accusing the EC of selective targeting.
When asked if the TMC would accept the final voter list after the SIR, Banerjee was unequivocal. "If it has discrepancies, why would we accept it. We would fight it legally," he stated. He accused the authorities of trying to "weaponise the electoral roll" by using opaque algorithms and software to disenfranchise people, remarking, "Earlier, voters used to decide the government; now the government is deciding the voters."
Calling for nationwide opposition unity on this issue, Banerjee stressed that the fight must be taken to the ground, not just on media platforms. "People are watching, if you put up a fight, the BJP won't win, because it will be the people who decide," he claimed, framing the voter list revision as a pivotal battle for democratic integrity.
