In a sharply worded escalation of the political face-off over West Bengal’s electoral rolls, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written her latest letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, describing the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) as a “reign of undemocratic chaos.” The Chief Minister demanded an immediate halt to the process, alleging it has become a “farce” that threatens to disenfranchise millions of legitimate voters ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
Allegations of Harassment and Lack of Transparency
In her communication dated January 3, 2026, Banerjee accused the Election Commission (EC) of creating an atmosphere of fear. She claimed that voters are being summoned for hearings without being informed of the specific reasons, leading to widespread anxiety and harassment.
“Citizens are being called for hearings without knowing why, causing unnecessary panic. No clear guidelines are being provided regarding required documentation, and many are not even receiving receipts for the documents they do submit,” the Chief Minister stated.
She further alleged that the process is being handled with a total lack of preparation, citing instances where elderly and ill citizens were forced to travel up to 25 kilometers to attend centralized hearings.
‘Discriminatory’ Standards and WhatsApp Governance
A major point of contention raised by the CM is the alleged disparity in how the SIR is being conducted in West Bengal compared to other states like Bihar. Banerjee pointed out that while Bihar accepted family registers as valid identity proof, the same is reportedly being denied in Bengal.
The Chief Minister also criticized the EC’s use of “informal channels,” claiming that crucial instructions are being sent via WhatsApp rather than through formal statutory orders. She also alleged that technical systems are being misused to delete names from the backend without the authorization of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs).
Suvendu Adhikari Fires Back: ‘Admission of Defeat’
Countering the Chief Minister’s demands, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari dispatched a strongly worded letter to CEC Gyanesh Kumar on Monday, January 5. Adhikari urged the Commission to ignore the CM’s pleas and continue the SIR “undaunted.”
In his letter, Adhikari characterized Banerjee’s call to halt the exercise as a “brazen attempt to perpetuate electoral malfeasance” and a clear “admission of defeat.” He argued that the CM’s narrative of “anxiety and harassment” is a “TMC-orchestrated mirage” designed to protect “fake voters, ghosts of the deceased, and illegal infiltrators.”
Trinamool Warns of Public Backlash
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has intensified its rhetoric, linking the SIR process to the deaths of some citizens during the stress of the revision period. TMC leader Arup Chakraborty accused the BJP of using the Election Commission as a tool to harass the people of Bengal.
“The BJP is celebrating this harassment, but the people will show them what a real ‘revision’ looks like in the 2026 elections,” Chakraborty said.
Context of the Conflict
The SIR process has become the primary battleground for the upcoming 2026 elections. While the EC maintains the exercise is a standard procedure to ensure a clean voter list, the ruling TMC views it as a targeted attempt at mass disenfranchisement, while the BJP views it as a vital step for purging “ghost voters” from the rolls.