Mamata Banerjee Calls for Immediate Halt to Electoral Roll Revision in Bengal, Flags Risk to Democracy

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, urging the Election Commission of India (ECI) to immediately stop the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state. Warning of serious consequences, she said the process could lead to large-scale voter disenfranchisement and cause lasting damage to the country’s democratic framework. In her letter dated December 3, Banerjee expressed deep concern over what she described as widespread irregularities, procedural violations and administrative shortcomings in the conduct of the SIR in West Bengal. According to the Chief Minister, the exercise has been carried out in a hurried and unplanned manner, without adequate preparation at the ground level. She alleged that the lack of proper groundwork has resulted in multiple flaws, including malfunctioning IT systems, contradictory instructions issued to officials and insufficient training of personnel assigned to carry out the revision process. These issues, she said, have severely compromised the credibility and effectiveness of the exercise. “The SIR, in its current form, strikes at the very foundation of our democratic structure and undermines the spirit of the Constitution,” Banerjee stated in the letter. She cautioned that continuing the process without immediate corrections could result in the exclusion of genuine voters from electoral rolls, thereby weakening democratic participation. The Chief Minister also raised concerns over the alleged exclusion of booth-level agents (BLAs) during hearings related to the revision process. She said denying BLAs an active role raises serious doubts about the transparency, fairness and impartiality of the exercise. Calling on the Election Commission to take responsibility, Banerjee urged the poll body to implement urgent corrective steps. Failing that, she demanded that the SIR be stopped altogether until a more structured, transparent and lawful approach is adopted. She further asserted that the Election Commission must be held fully accountable for any illegal, arbitrary or biased actions carried out under its supervision during the revision process, stressing that the integrity of elections and voter rights must remain paramount. Mamata Banerjee Urges ECI to Stop Electoral Roll Revision in Bengal, Raises Disenfranchisement Fears West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has appealed to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to immediately suspend the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, warning that the exercise could result in large-scale exclusion of voters and weaken democratic institutions. In a letter addressed to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on December 3, Banerjee conveyed serious apprehensions about the manner in which the SIR is being conducted. She alleged that the process is riddled with procedural lapses, administrative shortcomings and irregularities, and claimed it was initiated in a rushed and poorly planned fashion. The Chief Minister said the lack of proper preparation has led to multiple issues on the ground, including technical glitches in IT systems, unclear and conflicting instructions to field officials, and inadequate training of personnel involved in the revision work. According to her, these flaws have severely affected the credibility and fairness of the process. Banerjee warned that if the SIR continues without immediate course correction, it could cause irreversible harm by depriving genuine voters of their rights. She described the exercise as a threat to the basic structure of democracy and contrary to the constitutional spirit. She also pointed out the alleged exclusion of booth-level agents (BLAs) during hearings related to the revision, stating that such practices raise serious concerns about transparency and accountability. The Chief Minister said the absence of BLAs undermines public confidence in the electoral process. Urging the ECI to take swift corrective measures, Banerjee said that in the absence of meaningful reforms, the SIR should be halted altogether. She further stressed that the Election Commission must be held fully responsible for any arbitrary, illegal or biased actions taken under its authority during the exercise.