EC Deleted 54 Lakh ‘Genuine Voters’ in Bengal Without Hearing, Alleges Mamata Banerjee
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee alleges that the Election Commission deleted 54 lakh genuine voters during SIR without hearings, calling it a threat to democracy.
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday made serious allegations against the Election Commission of India, claiming that 54 lakh genuine voters were deleted from electoral rolls in West Bengal without being given any chance to defend themselves during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
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Addressing a press conference at the state secretariat Nabanna, Mamata Banerjee said the deletions were carried out unilaterally and amounted to a direct attack on democracy.
Allegation of Unilateral Deletions Using AI Tools
The Chief Minister alleged that the Election Commission, while operating from Delhi, misused the powers of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to delete names from voter lists.
She claimed that:
- AI-based tools allegedly linked to the BJP were used to flag “logical discrepancies”
- Women voters who changed surnames after marriage were affected
- Names of living voters were wrongly marked as deceased
According to her, many EROs were not even aware that voter names were being removed under their authority.
No Opportunity Given to Defend Names
Mamata Banerjee alleged that a large number of deleted voters were never informed of the grounds for deletion, denying them the right to defend their inclusion in the electoral rolls.
She said she has already written five letters to Chief Election Commissioner Ganesh Kumar, raising concerns over digitisation errors, anomalies, and procedural lapses that caused hardship to voters.
Claim of Plan to Remove One Crore More Voters
Escalating her attack, the Chief Minister alleged that the BJP–EC nexus was planning to delete another one crore voter names from the final electoral rolls.
She said 1.36 crore voters have been earmarked for verification on grounds of “logical discrepancy,” including well-known personalities such as:
- Amartya Sen
- Joy Goswami
- Mohammed Shami
- Laxmi Ratan Shukla
She alleged that the list itself was designed to justify mass deletions.
Objections to Micro-Observers and Procedures
Mamata Banerjee questioned the deployment of micro-observers during SIR hearings, alleging that such deployment is not permitted under SIR rules and is being implemented only in West Bengal.
She claimed these observers were “external to the rules” and accused them of acting as BJP agents, stating that citizens are not obliged to follow their instructions.
Forms Seized, FIR Filed in Bankura
The Chief Minister also displayed a photo alleging bulk transport of voter deletion forms in parts of the state. She claimed that in Bankura and Malda districts, large numbers of Form 7 applications were being transported for mass deletions.
Police confirmed that two persons were detained from a vehicle in Bankura, from which filled Form 7 documents were recovered. An FIR has been registered at Khatra police station, while some occupants of the vehicle reportedly fled.
Allegations of Double Standards Across States
Mamata Banerjee further accused the Election Commission of double standards, claiming that domicile certificates were accepted as valid documents in Bihar, but rejected in West Bengal.
She also alleged that instructions related to the SIR process, including extension of hearing deadlines, were being communicated to officials via WhatsApp, raising questions over transparency.
Calling the situation a threat to democracy, she urged party workers and police officials to remain vigilant against what she described as a political conspiracy aimed at disenfranchising voters in the state.
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