West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday launched a blistering attack on the Election Commission, alleging that its officials were “threatening” officers of her government and “acting under political influence” even before the announcement of assembly poll dates.
She also asserted that the BJP was “playing with fire” in the name of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and warned that any attempt to tamper with the voters’ list would be tantamount to “betrayal of democracy”.
“The Election Commission is threatening Bengal government officers. We will not tolerate this,” the TMC supremo said at a press conference at state secretariat ‘Nabanna’.
Questioning the conduct of EC officials visiting the state, Banerjee wondered how they could summon state government officers before the poll schedule was declared.
Assembly elections are due in the state next year.
“Election dates are yet to be announced in Bengal; how can EC officials visiting the state summon government officers?” she said.
Apparently referring to West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal, Banerjee claimed an EC official overseeing the SIR exercise in the state “faces many allegations himself” and is “appointing corrupt officers”.
“He himself is accused of corruption and there is a conspiracy to cut votes under the pretext of SIR; I have the evidence,” she claimed, adding, “I hope he will not betray the country and democracy.” “This SIR process is not what it appears. It is being used as a cover to carry out an NRC (National Register of Citizens)-type exercise in West Bengal,” the chief minister alleged.
Intensifying her attack on the saffron party, Banerjee said, “The BJP is playing with fire in the name of SIR, and they must rectify it. They use every agency for politics, not for public service. They are communalising everything, from education to culture and festivals.” Taking exception to a Union minister’s reported remark that “1.5 crore voters will be removed immediately” following the SIR in Bengal, the TMC chief demanded to know how such a statement could be made even before the exercise had begun.
She was referring to recent remarks made by Union minister and prominent Matua leader Shantanu Thakur.
“How can a Union minister say that 1.5 crore voters will be deleted? Are they deciding this in a party office? The Election Commission must decide whether it is impartial,” Banerjee said, asserting that such comments only strengthen her suspicion that the voter verification drive was “politically guided”.
The CM’s remarks come amid rising political tension in West Bengal over the SIR, which the ruling TMC has repeatedly described as a “ploy” by the BJP to disenfranchise sections of the electorate, particularly minorities and the poor ahead of the 2026 assembly polls.
Banerjee’s warning that she will “not tolerate” threats to state officers is being seen as an escalation in her confrontation with the EC, which has already begun preparatory work for next year’s polls.
“If the BJP doesn’t stop playing with fire, the fire will engulf them politically,” she asserted.