Standoff over SIR 2.0 | Poll body limits meet to '5-member' TMC delegation but Mamata's party insists on 10 leaders

A confrontation is brewing between the Election Commission (EC) and Trinamool Congress over a meeting to discuss Special Intensive Revision (SIR) on Friday with the poll body saying it could allow a five-member delegation while the Mamata Banerjee-led party insisted that it will not compromise on its demand for a ten-member team.

Trinamool Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien on Sunday wrote to the EC seeking an early appointment for a delegation of ten MPs to give a “reality check” of the ground situation in West Bengal where 38 deaths were reported due to SIR, sources said.

On Monday, the EC wrote to Mamata referring to O’Brien’s letter seeking an appointment and said the poll body “always welcome regular interaction” with parties for a “constructive dialogue” while setting the meeting for 11 AM on Friday. It asked her to send a delegation of five and provide their details.

Sources said Trinamool responded to this by another letter in which it sent details of ten MPs it would be sending to the EC on Friday. They said they are in no way going to accept the EC proposition of allowing only five members.

Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee said, “time has been sought for a delegation of ten MPs. They are representatives elected by the People of India, unlike the CEC and ECs who are hand-picked by the Government of India. These selective leaks portraying the EC as 'transparent' and 'cordial' are nothing but a manufactured facade”.

“If the EC is genuinely transparent, why is it scared to face just ten MPs ? Hold the meeting openly. Telecast it live and answer the five straightforward, legitimate questions that the AITC will place before you. Is the Election Commission willing to prove its transparency or does it only function behind closed doors?” he added. Trinamool posted on its official ‘X’ handle, “silence will be the loudest confession.”

Trinamool sources said a ten-member delegation would definitely go for the meeting and claimed that the EC is itching for a confrontation. They said the EC should explain why it should not meet 10 MPs and why they are scared.

While the EC claimed that it welcomes interaction with parties, they said the poll body had refused to meet a Trinamool delegation in May saying that the issues they wanted to raise could be addressed by the Chief Electoral Officer in the state.

In August, three Trinamool MPs had landed up at the EC during a protest march against SIR with the party claiming that the poll body did not honour its commitment of meeting an Opposition delegation.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata has already sent two letters to Chief Election Commissioner regarding the SIR, including raising concerns over suicides and deaths of Booth Level Officers due to “workload” as well as the move to appoint contractual staff for data entry.