Ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who alleged that the exercise is a covert attempt to target Bengal and its migrant workers under the pretext of Bihar.
“Bihar is just an excuse. The real target is Bengal,” Mamata Banerjee stated, accusing the Commission of acting at the behest of the BJP.
“They are doing whatever the BJP tells them to do. They are scared,” she added, warning that her party would launch a large-scale movement against the Commission’s decision if necessary.
Speaking at Digha in East Midnapore, where she attended the Rathyatra celebrations held under the banner of the newly constructed Lord Jagannath Temple, Mamata Banerjee alleged, “In BJP-ruled states, thousands of Bengali-speaking migrant workers from West Bengal are being falsely branded as Bangladeshi nationals simply because of their language. They are being detained under the guise of a crackdown on illegal immigrants. There are several instances where legitimate Indian citizens have been forcibly pushed back and left to survive under the open sky in No-Man’s Land. This is nothing but a deliberate attempt by the BJP to target Bengal."
The Commission has introduced a set of new guidelines for the inclusion of names in the electoral roll, citing the need to ensure only genuine Indian citizens are registered as voters.
According to the new ECI guidelines, voters must submit proof of citizenship, including self-attested declarations and documents relating to their date and place of birth. Key provisions include: individuals born before 1 July 1987 must provide proof of both date and place of birth; those born between 1 July 1987 and 12 December 2004 must furnish their identity proof along with documents of either parent; and those born after 12 December 2004 must submit documents for both themselves and their parents.
Additionally, the 2003 electoral roll will serve as the primary reference. Individuals not listed in that roll will be required to re-register with supporting documentation.
Mamata Banerjee strongly opposed the use of the 2003 roll as a baseline and likened the move to a National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise.
“India became independent in 1947. How can someone born before 1987 not be a citizen? This is a targeted political conspiracy,” she said, warning that migrant workers and young voters in Bengal risk being excluded from the electoral roll.
The Chief Minister also raised objections to the EC’s request for information on booth-level party agents, asking, “Why should I disclose internal party details?”
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has pledged to oppose the move and has called upon other opposition parties to form a united front against what Mamata described as a “serious threat to democracy.”
She accused the Commission of bypassing the federal structure and failing to consult political parties before initiating the revision.
As part of the revision process, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit households to distribute and collect the Enumeration Form (EF), which requires details such as name, address, EPIC number, and optionally, Aadhaar information. Voters also have the option to upload their documents online via the ECINET app or the ECI website.
The deadline for submitting the form is 25 July. The draft electoral roll will be published on 1 August, following which claims and objections may be filed. The final voter list will be released on 30 September after a thorough verification process.
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