As the Election Commission's exercise to clean up the voter list enters Bengal, a political slugfest has begun with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) backing the move and others such as the Congress and Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress criticising it.
Rahul Gandhi terms SIR a ‘chaos’
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi termed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) as chaos and said it was a calculated ploy “where citizens are being harassed”, referring to the deaths of 16 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) who allegedly died due to stress.
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"Under the guise of SIR, chaos has been unleashed across the country - the result? In three weeks, 16 BLOs have lost their lives. Heart attacks, stress, suicides - SIR is no reform, it's an imposed tyranny," he wrote in a post on X in Hindi.
"SIR is a calculated ploy - where citizens are being harassed and the deaths of BLOs from unnecessary pressure are dismissed as "collateral damage." This is not a failure, it's a conspiracy - a sacrifice of democracy to protect those in power," the Congress MP alleged.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge shared media reports that said 16 BLOs have died in six states, including four each in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, three in West Bengal, two in Rajasthan, and one each in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The Congress chief alleged that the numbers are "far higher than what is reported.
Mamata writes to EC
Mamata also expressed serious concerns over the ongoing SIR in the Bengal as she urged the the Election Commission to intervene immediately.
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Sharing her concerns in a letter on X, the West Bengal CM addressed to CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Banerjee described the SIR exercise as "unplanned, chaotic and dangerous," highlighting gaps in training, lack of clarity on documentation, and the impossibility of meeting voters amidst their work schedules.
TMC's meeting on SIR today
The ruling Trinamool Congress in Bengal will hold an internal meeting on November 24 which will be chaired by party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
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The objective of this meeting will be a SIR-related review, improvements across many places and districts, and ensuring that no names are left out, PTI reported.
The party has also accused the BJP of setting afire an SIR assistance camp erected by the set up by the TMC at Kalyani in West Bengal's Nadia district. The party said in a social media post on Sunday that the camp in ward No. 6 in Kalyani town was vandalised and torched.
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"A SIR assistance camp, organised by the Trinamool Congress, was vandalised and set on fire at a location adjacent to the party office in Ward No. 6, Kalyani Town. This was carried out by BJP supporters," the TMC alleged, attaching a video of the vandalised camp. A probe has been initiated in the case.
SIR-triggered political row in Bengal
Amid the political row in Bengal over the death of a BLO in West Bengal, Governor CV Ananda Bose on Sunday said that the death of BLO Shanti Muni Ekka, who allegedly took her own life due to "unbearable pressure" from the SIR of electoral rolls work, will be examined in detail.
"In such a situation, it is better to avoid a knee-jerk reaction. What the Chief Minister said has to be examined in detail. I am sure we have an Election Commission which is strong enough and has a balanced outlook. All these issues can be examined properly and appropriate solutions found, but what is required is free and fair elections in this country," the Governor was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
BJP swipes Mamata
Meanwhile, BJP's Ram Kadam took a swipe at Bengal CM over her opposition of the SIR, questioning whether she fears the removal of "infiltrators" from the voter list, alleging that her government had brought them in and facilitated their forced registration.
Kadam accused Banerjee of openly supporting Bangladeshi infiltrators, claiming that elections under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership will be conducted with complete transparency.
"If Mamata Banerjee is protesting, the reason is very clear. Is Mamata Banerjee afraid of removing the names of the infiltrators who entered Bengal and whose names were forcibly registered there? What is she afraid of?" Kadam was quoted as saying by ANI.
"Elections will be held with complete transparency under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi... Even she (Mamata Banerjee) is unable to hide how she openly supported Bangladeshis and infiltrators," he added.
SIR across 12 states and UTs
A nationwide SIR is currently underway in 12 states and union territories, including West Bengal, with the final elector's list to be published on February 7, 2026.
These states and UTs include Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.