Refuting allegations by opposition that the Election Commission is deliberately omitting names of many voters by conducting Special Intensified Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll, the ECI has filed an affidavit in Supreme Court of India in the case of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.

According to Election Commission, allegations of omission of large number of valid voters are “false” “highly exaggerated” and “politically motivated” which is actually nothing more than speculation. The ECI maintained that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is a necessary and constitutionally mandated process to ensure accuracy and integrity, driven by factors like rapid urbanisation and migration.

Opposition parties like the Trinamool Congress, DMK, CPM and Congress approached the Supreme Court challenging the SIR process in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Based on that petition, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Jayamalya Bagchi asked the Commission to submit its statement in the form of an affidavit. The Commission’s Secretary Pawan Diwan filed a separate affidavit urging that the cases filed against the SIR process be dismissed.

On November 26, the Commission filed an 81-page affidavit in response to the application filed by Trinamool MP Dola Sen and others. They said that the allegations of omission of a large number of voters were “for political gain”. In the affidavit, the Commission also mentioned that the SIR is not a new process. It is the responsibility of the Commission to ensure that the voter list is flawless. This process has been going on for many years. The Constitution of India also gives the Commission that right.

ECI ensuring no valid voter is left out: Commission

The Commission has mentioned the name of West Bengal separately in the affidavit. They said that enumeration forms have already reached 99.77 percent of the voters in Bengal. Out of which 70.14 percent have returned the forms after filling them. Booth level officials are distributing the enumeration forms to every house. Following this, the BLOs collect the forms and send these to the Commission after filling them. If no one is at home, the BLOs visit the house at least three times. The Commission has stressed that it is aware of its responsibility. The Commission is making every possible effort to ensure that the SIR process is successfully implemented and no valid voter’s name is left out of the voter list.

In its affidavit, the Commission has repeatedly claimed that the allegations of a large number of valid voter’s names being left out are being made based on speculation only. There is an attempt to ‘exaggerate’ the issue. And there is a political motive behind it. The Commission claims that political parties are taking the path of criticism instead of cooperation in the SIR process.

What is the allegation against Election Commission (ECI)?

The DMK has alleged that the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is a “conspiracy” that could lead to the mass deletion of genuine voters in Tamil Nadu. The party has challenged the process in the Supreme Court and organized statewide protests. DMK leaders, including Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, have claimed the SIR is a “calculated attempt” to remove eligible voters and potentially add ineligible ones, with fears of targeted deletions, particularly affecting marginalized communities. The party claims many citizens and even Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are unaware of the correct procedures and documentation required, creating confusion.

In West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has strongly voiced allegations that the Election Commission is deliberately omitting names of genuine voters in West Bengal, calling the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process a “silent invisible rigging” orchestrated at the behest of the BJP. The TMC claims that thousands of names have mysteriously disappeared from the online version of the voter lists compared to the older hard copies, even before the SIR process formally began on the ground.

The party, along with other opposition groups, has opposed the pan-India SIR, calling it a “de-facto NRC” (National Register of Citizens) exercise. They argue that the requirement for detailed documentation, including parental records, exceeds the legal mandate for electoral revision and aims to disenfranchise vulnerable voters, especially minorities and the Matua community.

TMC Supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the party’s National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, have consistently accused the EC of acting under pressure from the BJP to manipulate the rolls ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, as the BJP was unsuccessful in previous state polls.

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