Mamata Banerjee: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has moved aggressively to turn the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls into a major political issue ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. Positioning herself as the defender of ordinary voters, she has alleged that the SIR process is riddled with errors that risk excluding genuine citizens from voting.
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Banerjee has claimed that lakhs of voters were flagged under “logical discrepancies,” including cases where living individuals were marked as dead or wrongly linked through family mapping with older voter rolls. By personally addressing the Supreme Court and leading protests on the streets, she has framed the issue as one of harassment and fear, particularly for the poor, migrants, and minorities.
What Will Be BJP’s Concern
The BJP, however, sees SIR through the lens of electoral integrity. The party has consistently argued that West Bengal’s voter lists contain large numbers of fake, duplicate, or deceased voters, especially in border districts. According to the BJP, a clean-up is essential to ensure free and fair elections, and resistance to SIR only strengthens suspicions about inflated rolls benefiting the ruling party.
BJP leaders have dismissed Banerjee’s allegations as political theatrics designed to shield questionable entries. For the party, backing SIR also aligns with its broader pitch on law, order, and demographic concerns, hoping to reassure voters that the exercise will restore balance rather than cause injustice.
SIR Concerns and Election Commission’s Reaction to Allegations
The Election Commission has defended SIR as a standard verification exercise carried out before major elections. Officials have clarified that being flagged for discrepancies does not mean automatic deletion, but only a requirement for verification through hearings.
The Supreme Court, while acknowledging concerns raised by Banerjee, has stressed transparency and safeguards.
