Kolkata

Ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of India (ECI) are undermining democratic processes in the state through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

In a post on X, the ruling party accused authorities of deliberately removing names of legitimate voters to influence election outcomes, describing the move as an attempt to manipulate the process. The TMC claimed that even individuals such as Suprabuddha Sen, grandson of noted artist Nandalal Bose—who illustrated the Indian Constitution—along with his wife, had their names removed without justification. The party further alleged that some voters who had previously hosted Union Home Minister Amit Shah were also affected.

Issuing a strong warning to the BJP, the TMC said that attempts to disenfranchise voters would not translate into electoral success. It asserted that even a single genuine vote in the state would go in favour of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The allegations come after a TMC delegation met with the Election Commission. Following the meeting, the poll body stated that it had clearly conveyed its commitment to ensuring that the upcoming elections would be conducted in a free and fair manner, without fear, violence, intimidation, inducement, or disruption.

During the interaction, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar reportedly urged TMC MP Derek O'Brien to maintain decorum, stressing that disruptive behaviour would not be tolerated within the Commission’s premises.

Separately, the TMC has written to the ECI expressing serious concerns over what it described as the presence of politically biased officials and observers, warning that such developments could compromise the neutrality of the electoral process. The party highlighted issues related to fairness and transparency, claiming that recent actions point to a decline in institutional impartiality.

Tensions between the TMC and the Election Commission have been escalating over the revision of voter lists, with the ruling party alleging that the process is being carried out under the influence of the BJP to remove voters’ names.

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The 294-member West Bengal Assembly will go to polls in two phases on April 23 and April 29, while the counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.