Mamata Banerjee Alleges 1.2 Crore Voters May Be Deleted in Bengal Roll Revision

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday mounted a sharp attack on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, warning that as many as 1.2 crore names could disappear from the state’s voter list before the final publication.

Speaking in her Bhabanipur constituency at a community gathering, the Trinamool Congress chief alleged that the revision drive has already led to large-scale deletions and claimed the number could swell further in the final phase.

Banerjee said that while around 58 lakh names were initially removed, additional exclusions are now being processed under the category of “logical discrepancies.” She expressed concern that eligible voters were being stripped of their franchise without adequate transparency.

Legal Battle Reaches Apex Court

The Chief Minister confirmed that the matter has been taken to the Supreme Court of India, asserting that deletions have continued despite judicial scrutiny. She questioned what the final electoral roll, scheduled for release on February 28, would ultimately reflect.

The voter revision process has sparked a confrontation between the state administration and the Election Commission of India, with the ruling TMC accusing the poll body of acting unilaterally.

Judiciary Steps In to Break Deadlock

Amid the standoff, the apex court recently directed the Calcutta High Court to appoint additional judicial officers to examine objections and claims related to the revision exercise. Judicial officers from Odisha and Jharkhand have also been cleared to assist, after the court observed that West Bengal lacked sufficient personnel to complete the process within the stipulated timeframe.

Civil judges from both senior and junior divisions, with at least three years of experience, have been authorised to fast-track hearings linked to discrepancies flagged during the revision.

With the final roll set to be published later this month, the SIR exercise has evolved into a major political flashpoint, intensifying tensions in the state’s already charged electoral climate.