Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was met with a hostile reception in Kolkata on Monday morning, as protesters greeted his visit to the Kalighat temple with "go back" slogans and black flags. The CEC, who arrived in the city on Sunday night to oversee preparations for the upcoming assembly elections, has found himself at the centre of a political storm regarding the recent Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state's electoral rolls.
The tension was palpable from the moment Kumar’s convoy left the airport on Sunday. Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers and Left-wing activists staged rowdy demonstrations along the VIP Road and in the Kaikhali area, accusing the Election Commission of a "politically motivated" purge of the voter list. While police managed to handle the airport protests and the temple disturbance without any major escalation, the sheer scale of the backlash underscores the volatile atmosphere ahead of the polls.
The primary bone of contention remains the deletion of over 63 lakh names from the voter list — approximately 8.3 per cent of the electorate — since November. With an additional 60 lakh voters currently under "adjudication," the ruling TMC has accused the Commission of conspiring with the Bharatiya Janata Party to disenfranchise legitimate citizens, particularly in minority-dominated districts.
Despite the disruption, the CEC’s three-day itinerary remains packed. Accompanied by Election Commissioners SS Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, Kumar is scheduled to hold high-level meetings with representatives from eight recognised national and state political parties. These sessions will be followed by a rigorous review of law and order with senior police and administrative officials, focusing on deployment strategies for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).
On Tuesday, the team will meet with the Chief Electoral Officer, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, and hold a press conference to address the growing concerns before departing the city. With the formal election announcement expected shortly after this visit, all eyes are on how the Commission will address the 60 lakh "under adjudication" cases that have become the primary flashpoint in this high-stakes electoral battle.
Also read: CEC Gyanesh Kumar reunites with ex-gunman in Kerala
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