Bengal poll review turns into heated spat as TMC raises SIR concerns

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar faced black-flags protests and held tense meetings with political leaders and officials during a high-stakes visit to West Bengal on Monday (March 9), amid talk of an impeachment motion against him by the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Kumar arrived in Kolkata late on Sunday (March 8) with the full bench of the Election Commission (EC) to assess preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections, amid uncertainty over the fate of nearly 60 lakh voters whose eligibility is under adjudication following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

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The non-BJP parties demand that the poll schedule should be announced only after these cases are resolved, a stance that could complicate the election timeline ahead of May 7, when the current assembly’s term ends.

CEC greeted with protests

The visit began with political friction as protesters waving black flags gathered along the route from the airport to the New Town hotel where the EC team is staying, shouting “go back” slogans as the convoy passed.

Fresh protests greeted Kumar on Monday morning when he went to offer prayers at the Kalighat Kali Temple, one of the city’s most prominent shrines.

Also read: TMC says EC didn't hear its concerns on SIR at Bengal pre-poll meet

Demonstrators holding black flags raised slogans outside the temple complex before police cleared the route for his vehicle. Kumar did not comment directly on the demonstrations, telling reporters after the temple visit that he had prayed for the well-being of everyone.

The protests reflect rising tensions between the EC and the state’s ruling TMC over the contentious SIR exercise.

SIR row

Leaders of the ruling party say the process has led to the deletion or questioning of names of legitimate voters and have accused the poll-panel of acting unfairly ahead of the election. Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has been staging a sit-in protest in Kolkata since Friday (March 6) against the “flawed” exercise.

Mamata said her party would back any initiative by Opposition parties to bring an impeachment motion against the CEC, escalating the standoff between the state government and the poll panel.

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The dispute formed the backdrop to a day of hectic meetings between the EC and political parties.

Heated discussion

Representatives of major parties, including the TMC, BJP, the CPI(M) and the Congress, met the EC’s full bench at the New Town’s hotel.

Most of the state’s Opposition parties asked the EC to conduct the election in one or two phases rather than the multi-stage polling usually adopted in the state.

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But the discussion turned heated with the TMC delegation over the voter-roll revision.

The delegation led by state ministers Chandrima Bhattacharya and Firhad Hakim and Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Kumar raised concerns about alleged deletions of genuine voter names and the difficulties faced by residents asked to verify their documents.

Minister's allegation against CEC

After the meeting, Bhattacharya accused Kumar of refusing to engage with the delegation’s concerns over the voter roll revision, saying the EC repeatedly responded that the issue was pending before the Supreme Court. She also alleged that Kumar asked her not to raise her voice during the exchange, a remark she described as disrespectful and reflective of what she called a lack of regard for women.

In a post on the party’s official X account, the TMC referring to Kumar as “Vanish Kumar” said he had “lost all credibility, integrity, and now, even the faintest sense of balance. Since arriving in Bengal, he has been confronted by ordinary citizens demanding to know why their names have been struck off the electoral rolls. It appears that this public anger has left him visibly rattled. Today, he lashed out at our three-member delegation, even blaming us for dragging @ECISVEEP to the Supreme Court.”

Leaders from the CPI(M) echoed concerns about the revision process, arguing it had created uncertainty among voters.

Security concerns

In contrast, the BJP delegation focused on election security arrangements and urged the EC to ensure stronger deployment of central forces and surveillance at polling stations.

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Party representatives also referred to controversial remarks made earlier by TMC parliamentarian Kalyan Banerjee, who had used a metaphor about “cutting the finger” of the CEC during a political address. The BJP said such comments were inappropriate and sought action over them.

An afternoon review session with officials from the state administration and central enforcement agencies proved equally intense.

Law-and-order concerns

Sources privy to the discussions said Kumar strongly criticised several agencies for what he described as insufficient preparedness to monitor illegal cash flows, narcotics trafficking and other activities that could influence the election.

Officials from several agencies, including the Reserve Bank of India, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, and the Income Tax department, were questioned on their preparedness to monitor and flag suspicious financial transactions and illicit cash flows during the election campaign.

Kumar warned that every official involved in the election process leaves a digital trail of decisions and actions, and that negligence would not go unnoticed.

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Participants said the CEC’s remarks were delivered in a stern tone, with some officers receiving sharp rebukes for failing to present adequate data or preparedness plans.

Mamata says CEC threatened officials

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee later accused CEC Kumar of threatening state officials during the meeting.

Speaking at a sit-in demonstration in Kolkata against the alleged flawed implementation of the SIR, Mamata said she had been told that officers were reprimanded during the meeting.

“I pity him,” Mamata said, referring to Kumar. “Without disrespecting the chair, I have heard that officers have been threatened today in the meeting. He has said he will take action now and even after May. Will your chair remain after May? First save your chair, then threaten the officers and people of Bengal.”

Mamata accused the poll authority of attempting to intimidate the bureaucracy and alleged that democratic institutions were being misused for political ends.

“They are planning many things—deleting voters, tampering with the process,” she said. “If you think you can capture power by threatening people and removing legitimate voters, that will not happen.”

CM attacks BJP

The chief minister also criticised the SIR exercise in the state, alleging that names of legitimate voters, including minorities and people who had changed addresses, were being removed.

“We have only one demand,” she said. “Return the voting rights of the people.”

The EC has not publicly responded to Mamata’s allegations about threats to officials.

Mamata also launched a scathing attack on the BJP. “BJP is a party of liars,” she said, accusing it of spreading misinformation through advertisements and attempting to influence voters ahead of the polls.

She further alleged that BJP leaders in some districts were going door-to-door distributing money, and claimed that central agencies were being used to intimidate officials and political opponents.

Instruction for police

At the meeting, the EC also reviewed law-and-order arrangements with senior police officials and district administrators.

Sources said that in the meeting, Kumar instructed police officials that all illegal weapons, explosives, unaccounted cash, and illicit liquor across West Bengal must be confiscated immediately.

Any arms, bombs, liquor, or related contraband that needed to be seized ahead of the elections, he emphasized, should be confiscated.

The EC’s full bench is scheduled to continue its consultations with administrative and election officials before concluding the visit on Tuesday (March 10).