Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee (centre) addresses the media along with his party colleagues after meeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, at the Election Commission’s headquarters in New Delhi on Dec. 31, 2025. Photo: PTI
Abhishek Banerjee alleges vote theft through rolls, slams CEC Gyanesh Kumar
The TMC MP, who met Election Commission officials along with party delegates on Dec 31, accused the body of weaponising voter rolls and behaving in a partisan manner
Trinamool Congress (TMC) National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday (December 31) alleged that electoral manipulation in the country was taking place not through electronic voting machines (EVMs) but also through voter rolls. He said this while launching a sharp attack on the Election Commission (EC) and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
“Vote chori is not happening in EVMs. It is happening in electoral rolls,” Banerjee said, claiming that Opposition parties such as the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party failed to detect it in states such as Maharashtra, Delhi and Haryana.
Also read: Bangladesh unrest casts long shadow over 2026 West Bengal polls
“Had they caught this in time, the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) would have lost in these states,” he added.
Speaking to reporters outside the EC after a meeting with officials, the Diamond Harbour MP accused Kumar of behaving in a partisan manner.
'You are nominated, I am elected'
He claimed that during their interaction, the CEC repeatedly interrupted him and lost his temper. “I told him — you are nominated, and I am elected,” Banerjee said, alleging that the poll panel was being run through “WhatsApp circulars”.
The TMC’s No.2 also challenged Kumar to face the media and make public the CCTV footage of what he said during the two-and-a-half-hour meeting.
Also read: SIR hearings trigger Rajbongshi voter anxiety, put BJP on the spot
“He was the only one speaking,” Banerjee alleged, adding that Kumar had been “sent on a mission to destroy this institution”.
EC weaponising electoral rolls: Abhishek
Banerjee further accused the commission of “weaponising electoral rolls” through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and demanded transparency.
He questioned the introduction of what he termed a “suspicious list”, saying no such categorisation existed in earlier revision exercises.
Also read: Modi dodges Matua citizenship issue in virtual Bengal rally
“If nothing is wrong, then release the logical discrepancy list,” he said, appealing to “like-minded parties” to jointly flag alleged irregularities in voter rolls. “This is a challenge to us. We have come here to throw this government out of power,” the TMC leader said.
The ruling party of West Bengal has been attacking the EC over the SIR procedure in the state, months ahead before it goes to polls. Led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the TMC is eyeing its fourth straight mandate in 2026.