Trinamool Congress National General Secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee, accompanied by a delegation of nine fellow lawmakers, met with the full bench of the Election Commission (EC) in New Delhi on Wednesday. Following the meeting, Banerjee expressed significant dissatisfaction, claiming the Commission failed to provide adequate justifications for several of its administrative decisions regarding West Bengal.
Discrepancies in Voter List Revisions
Banerjee raised concerns over the disproportionate treatment of Bengal compared to other states. Citing official data, he highlighted the rates of voter list revisions (deletion/addition of names) across India:
Tamil Nadu: 12.57%
Gujarat: 9.95%
Chhattisgarh: 8.76%
Kerala: 6.65%
West Bengal: 5%
He argued that despite Bengal having the lowest revision rate (suggesting fewer discrepancies in the rolls), it has been subjected to the most stringent oversight.
The Question of Micro-Observers
The primary point of contention was the appointment of Micro-Observers specifically for West Bengal. Banerjee questioned why this system was implemented in Bengal while being absent in other states with higher revision percentages.
When the Commission cited a shortage of officers as a reason for their operational choices, the TMC delegation countered by pointing out that many Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) remain unutilized. Banerjee alleged that the Commission’s inability to provide a logical answer suggests a “step-motherly” attitude toward the state.
Allegations of External Influence
During the press briefing, Banerjee claimed that the Chief Election Commissioner seemed uninformed about the ground-level execution of Summary Internal Reviews (SIR) in Bengal. He suggested that the Commission appeared to be acting under “external instructions” rather than independent assessment, stating that the specific nuances of Bengal’s electoral process were not being clearly understood by the central body.
Demand for Transparency on Migrant Issues
The TMC leader also addressed the narrative surrounding “infiltrators.” In response to claims regarding the removal of 5.8 million names from voter lists, Banerjee challenged the EC to release a specific breakdown:
How many of those removed were identified as Bangladeshis?
How many were identified as Rohingyas? He demanded a formal list to substantiate these claims and ensure transparency.