Kolkata: Calling it a “violation” of the spirit of the Supreme Court’s order and an attempt to delete names of valid voters, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday criticised the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) new clarification to the Bengal Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office on the ongoing SIR.
According to the TMC, the ECI’s communication — stating that financial assistance sanction letters issued under various Central and state housing finance schemes of the Bengal government would not be treated as valid identity documents for the SIR — runs contrary to the intent of the apex court’s directions.
The party alleged that the move could disenfranchise genuine voters who rely on such official documents, and accused the poll body of facilitating arbitrary deletions from the electoral rolls.
Stepping up its attack, the TMC questioned why the ECI issued the clarification only after the final hearing ended on February 14, alleging a “backdoor” bid to strike valid voters off the rolls.
Branding the poll body the B-team of BJP-led Centre, the TMC said the move would hit beneficiaries of housing schemes such as Indira Awas Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and the state’s Banglar Bari. Senior TMC leader Chandrima Bhattacharya, during a Press conference, said: “The clarification on the Supreme Court’s directive can come from the SC. The Constitution does not allow the ECI to make its own interpretation of its orders.”
Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said people had already submitted documents that were accepted, and questioned how any could now be excluded while the review process is underway.
“The SC, in its order February 9, 2026, clearly stated that “affected persons to whom notices have been served shall be entitled to rely on all or any of the documents referred to by the ECI in the SIR notice, and all such documents, including those referred to by the EC in the SIR notice”, TMC stated.
TMC said the decision has caused confusion, as the ECI’s own list of 13 valid identity documents includes government-issued land or house allotment certificates.
“The SC observed that as a constitutional body, it must function in a manner that upholds the trust of the electorate and ensures that every eligible voter is able to exercise their franchise, not create an atmosphere of fear and exclusion? TMC wrote on social media.