Amid rising tensions over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, Abhishek Banerjee, the National General Secretary of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), has launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging a "voter-cleansing operation" designed to favor the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Banerjee's accusations follow concerns about the deletion of a large number of names from the electoral rolls and the handling of "logical discrepancies" in voter data.

Banerjee asserted that electoral manipulation isn't solely reliant on EVMs, but also on voter rolls. He accused the ECI of "weaponising electoral rolls" through the SIR process and demanded transparency regarding a "suspicious list" of voters with discrepancies. According to Banerjee, over 50 deaths are linked to the SIR process, exacerbated by the fear and pressure surrounding the enumeration. He cited the reported suicide of a Block Level Officer (BLO) as a tragic example. The TMC leader argues that what should be a routine administrative task has become a pressure cooker for those working on the ground.

The TMC has accused the ECI of acting as the "B-team" of the BJP, alleging a silent assault on democracy by secretly deleting the names of legitimate voters without proper transparency or accountability. Banerjee has demanded that the ECI publish the list of voters with "logical discrepancies" and provide the methodology used to create this category. He has also called for the release of CCTV footage and all evidence related to the SIR exercise in West Bengal.

In response to TMC's allegations, the ECI has refuted claims of impropriety and defended the integrity of the SIR process. The Election Commission has also sent a letter to the DGP of West Bengal and the Kolkata Police Commissioner, instructing them to ensure that BLOs are not threatened or pressured by political party workers.

The BJP has hit back at the TMC, accusing the ruling party of making baseless allegations and attempting to disrupt the election process. The BJP has also raised concerns about illegal migration into West Bengal.

The political atmosphere in West Bengal is charged, with the TMC gearing up for its fourth straight mandate in the 2026 elections. The ECI published the draft voter list for West Bengal on December 16, 2025. Objections and claims can be made until January 15, 2026, and the final electoral roll is scheduled for publication on February 14, 2026. With both the TMC and BJP taking firm stances, the coming months will likely see continued scrutiny of the electoral process and heightened political activity in the state.