Banerjee, addressing a large gathering in Kolkata, alleged that SIR is a politically motivated attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to manipulate the voter list. TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee accused the Centre of using the revision to “intimidate and disenfranchise” voters
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee leads the rally against the SIR process in Kolkata. Pic/PTI
The Election Commission’s (EC) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls began on Tuesday across nine states and three Union Territories, sparking political uproar in several regions. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led the Opposition charge, calling the exercise “silent, invisible rigging” during a rally in Kolkata, news agency PTI reported.
Apart from Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC), Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its allies have also opposed the EC’s move. On Monday, DMK approached the Supreme Court, terming the SIR “unconstitutional” and a “de facto NRC (National Register of Citizens)”.
The EC said booth-level officers (BLOs) have started visiting households to distribute semi-filled enumeration forms and assist voters in completing documentation. The enumeration phase will continue until December 4, followed by the publication of draft rolls five days later and the final rolls on February 7.
The SIR exercise covers Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. A similar revision in Assam will be announced separately, as the state’s voter verification is currently being conducted under Supreme Court supervision.
In West Bengal, where the assembly polls will be held next year, more than 80,000 BLOs fanned out to deliver enumeration forms. By 4 pm, more than 16 lakh forms had been distributed, PTI reported, quoting officials.
Banerjee, addressing a large gathering in Kolkata, alleged that SIR is a politically motivated attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to manipulate the voter list.
“SIR stands for ‘silent, invisible rigging’. If a single eligible voter is removed, we will ensure the fall of this BJP government,” she declared.
TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee accused the Centre of using the revision to “intimidate and disenfranchise” voters, while Member of Parliament (MP) Derek O’Brien called the EC a “compromised body”, PTI reported.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari led a counter-rally near Kolkata, demanding full implementation of SIR and the removal of “Bangladeshi infiltrators”.
In Tamil Nadu, where DMK has challenged the EC’s notification in court, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)—an ally of the BJP—has welcomed the revision. In Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has convened an all-party meeting on Wednesday to build consensus amid growing concerns from Opposition parties.
The massive voter roll revision covers nearly 51 crore electors across 321 districts and 1,843 assembly constituencies. More than 5.3 lakh BLOs, 10,448 electoral registration officers, and 7.64 lakh booth-level agents of political parties are involved in the exercise, according to the EC.
(With PTI inputs)
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