Mamata Banerjee Blasts ECI on National Voters' Day, Labels Celebration a 'Tragic Farce' Amid Bengal SIR

The outburst comes against the backdrop of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, a targeted exercise launched by the ECI to verify and update voter registrations ahead of the 2026 state assembly polls. The process has sparked widespread controversy, with Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress party claiming it amounts to an unnecessary burden on voters, forcing them to re-verify their identities through summons and document submissions. Critics argue that the SIR has led to mechanical, data-driven hearings that overlook human elements, resulting in errors from AI-assisted digitisation of old records and a lack of acknowledgment receipts for submitted proofs.

Banerjee's post highlighted the human cost, stating that over 130 people have died due to the stress induced by these verifications, including suicides among those unable to cope with the demands. She likened the exercise to a "trial run for NRC" (National Register of Citizens), suggesting it disproportionately affects vulnerable groups and erodes the festive spirit of democracy that elections should embody.

This is not the first time Banerjee has voiced her grievances. Since the SIR began in late 2025, she has penned at least four letters to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, escalating her concerns about procedural flaws, partisan influences, and the potential for mass disenfranchisement. In her most recent correspondence earlier this month, she flagged issues like the absence of receipts for document submissions and errors stemming from the digitisation of 2002 electoral rolls, urging an immediate halt to what she described as an "arbitrary and ad hoc" process. Some reports indicate a fifth letter was sent, underscoring her persistent pushback against the ECI's approach.

The ECI has defended the SIR as a necessary step to ensure clean and accurate voter lists, responding to affidavits and court pleas about threats to poll officials and the need for transparency. However, the state government has instructed district magistrates to balance the revision with administrative duties, amid warnings of legal action if the process oversteps.

On the same day as Banerjee's post, Trinamool Congress supporters held rallies across West Bengal to protest the SIR, framing National Voters' Day as a moment to defend rather than celebrate voting rights. The escalating tussle between the state leadership and the central poll body highlights deepening tensions over electoral integrity, with implications for the upcoming polls.​