Mamata Banerjee Storms Out of EC Meeting Over SIR Dispute
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday escalated her standoff with the Election Commission by walking out of a high-level meeting in Delhi over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. She accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of “insulting, disrespecting and humiliating” her during the interaction. According to Banerjee, the meeting failed to address the concerns of voters affected by alleged deletions.
Notably, the TMC chief wore a black shawl as a mark of protest and left Nirvachan Sadan within an hour. She was accompanied by senior party leaders and several citizens who claimed the SIR process wrongfully removed their names from voter lists.
‘Crossed All Limits’: CM Accuses CEC of Political Bias
Soon after the walkout, Banerjee launched a sharp attack on the CEC’s conduct. She said Kumar behaved arrogantly and denied justice to affected voters. Moreover, she claimed the Commission ignored repeated representations from her party. “I have never seen such a CEC,” Banerjee said, accusing him of acting under political pressure.
Furthermore, she compared Kumar’s conduct to that of former West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar. According to her, both crossed constitutional boundaries while siding with the BJP. She warned that constitutional authorities must respect a “Laxman Rekha” and remain neutral. Importantly, Banerjee alleged that voter deletions could distort electoral outcomes ahead of the assembly polls.
Election Commission Pushes Back, Issues Strong Warning
Meanwhile, the Election Commission firmly rejected Banerjee’s allegations. It said the CEC made it clear that the rule of law would prevail. Additionally, the Commission warned against intimidation or interference in the SIR process. In a detailed statement, it flagged incidents of vandalism at electoral offices and alleged threats against election officials.
The EC also raised concerns over unauthorised administrative transfers and delays in paying booth-level officers. According to the Commission, such actions hamper electoral work and violate established norms. Therefore, it stressed that no political party would receive special treatment during the revision exercise.
SIR Row Deepens Political Divide Ahead of Polls
The SIR process began in November and led to the deletion of 5.82 million names from draft electoral rolls in Bengal. However, despite the lowest deletion rate among poll-bound states, the issue has triggered intense political backlash. The TMC continues to accuse the BJP of using the process to target minority and migrant voters.
At the same time, BJP leaders hit back and accused the ruling party of disrupting hearings and manipulating voter data. Consequently, the controversy has widened political polarisation in the state. As elections draw closer, the SIR dispute has turned into a broader battle over electoral integrity, institutional trust, and democratic accountability.
