Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) Supremo Mamata Banerjee has once again raised concerns over the transparency of the electoral process ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections. In a letter addressed to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Tuesday, she alleged a “deep-seated conspiracy” to include “outsiders” in the state’s voter list.
Mamata claimed that the alleged irregularities are being carried out with the support of the BJP and expressed strong dissatisfaction with the functioning of the Election Commission (EC) of India.
In her letter, the Chief Minister alleged that lakhs of people have been harassed during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. She reiterated her earlier claim that the process has led to the deaths of nearly 200 individuals. Mamata further alleged that BJP agents are submitting large numbers of Form 6 applications—used for new voter registrations—to add names of individuals who are not permanent residents of West Bengal.
“The same strategy used in states like Bihar, Haryana, and Maharashtra is now being replicated in Bengal,” she stated, warning of attempts to manipulate the voter list ahead of the polls.
On Monday, Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s National General Secretary, alleged that BJP workers entered the Commission’s premises carrying sacks filled with Form 6 applications. According to him, the objective was to include voters from states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in Bengal’s electoral rolls.
Mamata also referred to a directive issued by the Supreme Court on February 20, which she said mandates that voter list revisions should be conducted under the supervision of judicial officers. She argued that with nearly 60 lakh applications already pending, the acceptance of an additional 30,000 applications processed by Commission officials is “illegal” and amounts to contempt of court.
The Chief Minister further stated that after the publication of the final voter list on February 28, no fresh applications should have been accepted. However, she alleged that a March 27 memo issued by the Commission extended the deadline for voter registration, a move she claimed benefits BJP candidates and “outsiders.”
While acknowledging the powers of the EC under Article 324 of the Constitution, Mamata stressed that its actions must remain within the framework of judicial directives.
Concluding her letter, she urged the Chief Election Commissioner to intervene immediately, halt what she termed an “unlawful” process, and ensure the protection of democratic rights in the state. She also called on the Commission to maintain neutrality and transparency to uphold public trust in the electoral system.
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