Mamata questions SIR in BJP states, warns Centre over voter deletions

Mamata said the SIR exercise was creating fear and confusion, alleging the EC had turned into a "BJP Commission" by pushing through a hurried voter list revision ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls

West Bengal Chief Minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday tore into the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, warning that if the names of voters get deleted, the Central government would also get deleted.

 

"PM Modi got voted in 2024 according to this voter list. If you get the names deleted, the Central Govt will also get deleted," the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief said.

 

Speaking at a rally in Bongaon, Banerjee accused them of rushing the exercise ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls, claiming that the draft rolls would reflect “the disastrous situation created by the EC and the BJP”.

 

She further accused the poll body of acting on “instructions from Delhi” and alleged that it had effectively turned into “a BJP Commission”.

 

What did Mamata say about the ‘Bangladeshi’ allegation?

“Just because someone speaks Bengali, how are they Bangladeshi? I love Bangladesh because our language is the same. Had I not been born in Birbhum, they would have called me Bangladeshi, too,” Banerjee said.

 

The CM also questioned the rationale behind conducting SIR in BJP-ruled states if the goal was to remove “illegal Bangladeshis”.

 

“Does that mean you accept there are ‘ghuspaithiyas' in the double-engine-ruled states?” Banerjee said.

 

Banerjee said she would have supported the revision if it had been conducted over a period of “two or three years”. “Why is it being rushed coercively within two months?” she asked.

 

She further stated that no legitimate voter would be removed from the rolls. “I have come here to assure you, not to ask for votes. We will fight till the end. No genuine voter will be removed,” she added.

 

What will EC discuss with TMC?

This comes as the EC has called TMC leaders for a meeting on Friday, after the party sought time with the poll panel to discuss the revision of electoral rolls.

 

On Monday, Banerjee also wrote to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, seeking his “urgent intervention” on two recent developments.

 

She flagged the state chief electoral officer’s directive advising district election officers against deploying contractual data-entry operators and Bangla Sahayata Kendra staff for SIR or any other election-related tasks. She also raised concerns over an EC's proposal to establish polling stations inside private residential complexes.

 

The second phase of the SIR is currently underway in 12 states and Union Territories, including West Bengal. The final electoral roll is expected to be released on February 7, 2026. The first phase of the exercise was conducted in Bihar ahead of its Assembly elections.  (With inputs from agencies.)