Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar expressing grave concern over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, warning that it could lead to “mass disenfranchisement” and cause “irreparable damage” to India’s democratic foundations.
In a sharply worded four-page letter, Banerjee urged the Election Commission to immediately halt the exercise, stating that unless the “flawed and arbitrary process” is corrected, a large number of legitimate voters could lose their citizenship rights. She alleged that poor planning and arbitrary decisions have turned the SIR into a “farce”.
“In view of the foregoing, I strongly urge you to immediately address and rectify the glitches, address the flaws and make the necessary corrections, failing which this unplanned, arbitrary and adhoc exercise must be halted,” she said, adding that, if the exercise is allowed to continue in its present form, “it will result in irreparable damage, large-scale disenfranchisement of eligible voters,” she wrote.
Stating that she was “constrained” to write again, Banerjee said serious irregularities, procedural violations and administrative lapses were continuing during the revision process. She warned that allowing the exercise to continue in its present form would result in large-scale disenfranchisement and a direct assault on democratic principles.
The Chief Minister said she had earlier raised similar concerns in letters dated November 20 and December 2, 2025, but claimed the situation had deteriorated since then.
One of the most serious allegations relates to the absence of formal or statutory instructions. Banerjee claimed district-level officials are receiving directions through WhatsApp or text messages instead of official notifications, calling the practice opaque, arbitrary and violative of transparency and accountability.
She further alleged that based on such informal instructions, documents such as the “family register”, accepted as valid identification in Bihar, are being rejected in West Bengal, while permanent residence certificates issued by the state government are being ignored. She termed it inhuman that migrant workers, despite being eligible voters, are being compelled to appear physically for hearings.
Raising concerns over the IT infrastructure used in the SIR, Banerjee alleged that voter names are being deleted from the “back end” without the knowledge of even Electoral Registration Officers. She questioned the legality of such actions and said they appeared to violate provisions of the Representation of the People Act.
She also alleged that voters are being summoned without being informed of specific reasons, causing harassment. Elderly, sick and vulnerable citizens, she said, are being forced to travel 20–25 km to attend hearings, while documents collected are not being acknowledged, creating the risk of future legal disputes.
Casting doubt on the Commission’s neutrality, Banerjee alleged that observer appointments are being made by ignoring panels sent by the state government and objected to the appointment of micro-observers drawn mainly from Group-B central government employees, whom she said lack adequate training and are exceeding their jurisdiction.
In the concluding part of the letter, the Chief Minister accused the poll body of preventing Booth Level Agents from attending voter hearings, arguing that their exclusion undermines transparency and the credibility of the entire revision process.