Bengal SIR: Mamata alleges political bias, lack of clarity, administrative chaos

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Monday (December 22) mounted a fresh attack on the Election Commission over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging lack of clarity, administrative chaos, and political bias in the process, even as she issued detailed instructions to her party’s Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to counter what she described as an attempt at large-scale voter disenfranchisement.

Speaking at the Netaji Indoor Stadium, Banerjee said there were no clear guidelines on how voters were expected to resolve “logical discrepancies” flagged during the revision exercise, questioning how thousands of voters could address such issues within a short timeframe.

‘Officials disconnected from ground realities’

She alleged that officials at various levels, from Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to district and state election authorities, were disconnected from ground realities.

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Banerjee also claimed that there was still no clarity on the venues or modalities of hearings, which were initially scheduled to begin on December 16, but were later modified through fresh instructions issued on December 20.

‘Appointing special observers - political interference’

According to the chief minister, appointment of special observers and micro-observers, drafted from central government employees, in each assembly constituency amounted to political interference.

She alleged that these officials were aligned with the BJP, and questioned the precedent of deploying non-state officials to oversee electoral processes in West Bengal.

Mamata highlights language barriers

Raising concerns over language barriers, Banerjee said such officials would be unable to understand Bengali or regional languages such as Rajbanshi, Kamtapuri, Lepcha, and Nepali, yet would be tasked with conducting voter hearings.

She further claimed that special observers and micro-observers were being placed over state officials without consultation with the state government.

Also Read: Former CEC SY Quraishi slams SIR: ‘Why scrap 99 pc accurate voter roll?’

She alleged that several central government employees had been appointed without informing the state, and directed party workers to gather details about their postings and places of residence, asserting that while the state would cooperate, transparency was non-negotiable.

Banerjee also highlighted the strain on the administrative machinery, noting that a majority of BLOs were schoolteachers and that the Madhyamik (Class 10 Board) examinations were approaching.

Party’s BLAs given instructions for second phase

Alongside her criticism of the poll panel, the TMC supremo outlined a detailed organisational response for the second phase of the SIR.

She instructed her party’s BLAs to verify lists of deceased, relocated, and absent voters published by the authorities, and conduct door-to-door checks to identify genuine voters whose names had been deleted.

She said that in such cases, applications for re-enrolment should be submitted to electoral authorities with the required forms and annexures.

Govt-run camps for voters

Banerjee also emphasised close monitoring of voters marked as “unmapped” or flagged for logical discrepancies, directing BLAs to ensure that affected voters had received notices and were prepared with documentary proof, including copies of the 2002 electoral roll and other prescribed documents, for hearings.

Also Read: National hearing raises alarm over SIR as testimonies cite mass deletions, bias

She said government-run camps would be set up at block offices and booths to facilitate the process and prevent harassment of voters. She further placed responsibilities on MLAs, block-level leaders, and councillors to oversee the exercise.

Warns party workers against complacency

Warning party functionaries against complacency, Banerjee said councillors who failed to perform their duties would be replaced, adding that leadership positions would be awarded based on performance.

Also Read: SIR drive: 97 lakh voters deleted from Tamil Nadu rolls

She also cautioned against irregular enrolments, instructing BLAs to scrutinise applications submitted through Form 6 and Form 8, particularly those involving voters above 20 years of age, and alleging that previous electoral rolls had seen the inclusion of “outsiders” from other states.

The commission has not yet responded to the allegations made by the chief minister.