West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee Storms Out of Election Commission Meeting in Protest
In a dramatic confrontation on Monday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, dressed in black, walked out of a crucial meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi. The meeting was convened to discuss the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bengal's electoral roll, but it quickly escalated into a heated exchange, with Banerjee accusing the Election Commission of "humiliating and insulting" the Trinamool Congress delegation.
Allegations of Bias and Political Targeting
Speaking to reporters outside the venue, where a heavy police presence had been deployed, Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the poll panel. She alleged that the Election Commission was acting as a "dalal (agent)" of the Bharatiya Janata Party, a claim she repeated multiple times. "I respect the chair of the election commissioner, but this person is a danger to democracy," she stated, referring to CEC Kumar.
The Chief Minister further warned Kumar that he would "end up like Jagdeep Dhankhar," in what was interpreted as a reference to the former Vice-President's sudden resignation last year. She questioned why Bengal was being singled out, asking, "Why only Bengal is being targeted?" and asserting that no chair is permanent.
Core Issues and TMC Demands
Banerjee was accompanied by a delegation that included TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, MP Kalyan Banerjee, and twelve individuals—ten Hindus and two Muslims—who claimed to be victims of the SIR process. Some were allegedly marked as dead on draft lists, while others had lost family members due to "SIR-related stress."
The TMC submitted a five-page memorandum highlighting three primary concerns:
- Logical discrepancies and coercive hearings involving 1.5 crore additional SIR cases.
- Weaponisation of Form 7 for mass deletion of voter names.
- Extra-legal appointment of micro-observers specifically in Bengal.
Banerjee demanded that the EC take responsibility for deaths linked to the SIR and discard the controversial hearings. "EC has to take responsibility for the deaths that have happened due to the SIR," she insisted.
Election Commission's Response and Counter-Allegations
According to EC sources, the full bench, including CEC Kumar and two election commissioners, patiently listened to the CM's grievances and provided polite explanations. However, they claimed that Banerjee raised "false allegations," misbehaved with officials, and thumped the table before leaving abruptly.
Sources also flagged instances of "abusive and threatening" language used by TMC MLAs against EC officers and vandalism of offices by party workers. During the meeting, when Banerjee detailed her allegations, the EC reportedly asked, "What is the basis of these allegations? Why should we listen to them?" To this, Banerjee retorted, "If we are not heard, what is the point of this meeting?"
CEC Kumar firmly conveyed that the "rule of law shall prevail" and warned against any pressure or interference in the SIR process. He listed "blatant violations" by the Bengal administration and emphasized that legal action would be taken against those taking the law into their own hands.
Aftermath and Ongoing Tensions
Banerjee expressed disappointment, stating she had approached the meeting hoping for justice but found the EC's responses to be "bluff and a garbage of lies." She declared, "We have no expectation from EC... they are BJP's dalal, dalal, dalal."
The SIR hearings and document submissions in Bengal are scheduled to conclude this week, with the final electoral roll set for publication on February 14. This incident underscores the deepening rift between the TMC and the Election Commission, raising questions about the integrity of the electoral revision process in the state.
