West Bengal SIR: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote a letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and alleged that irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise of the Election Commission of India (ECI) in the state.
In a letter dated January 3, 2026, the Chief Minister alleged that critical instructions related to the SIR process are being communicated informally through messages on WhatsApp and text messages. She also added that the information is being communicated without any formal written notifications, circulars, or statutory orders.
CM Banerjee, according to IANS, claimed that the absence of formal documentation undermines transparency, accuracy, and accountability, and could potentially lead to the disenfranchisement of genuine voters.
The Chief Minister claimed that these deficiencies have reduced a vital democratic exercise to a farce and have severely eroded public confidence in the integrity of the electoral process.
“I am once again constrained to write to you in order to place on record my grave concern regarding the serious irregularities, procedural violations, and administrative lapses being witnessed during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in West Bengal,” Banerjee wrote in the letter addressed to the CEC.
“I strongly urge you to immediately address and rectify the glitches, correct the flaws, and make the necessary corrections, failing which this unplanned, arbitrary, and ad hoc exercise must be halted. If allowed to continue in its present form, it will result in irreparable damage, large-scale disenfranchisement of eligible voters, and a direct assault on the foundational principles of democratic governance,” the letter added.
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“There has been no proper or uniform training of officials entrusted with this sensitive constitutional responsibility; the IT systems being used are defective, unstable and unreliable; instructions issued from time to time are inconsistent and often contradictory; and there is a complete lack of clarity and planning on the part of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and its State-level functionaries,” she said.
The CM stated that the undue haste with which the SIR is being conducted, without adequate groundwork or preparation, has rendered the entire process fundamentally flawed.
West Bengal SIR
CM’s allegations come as the ECI has provided statistical details of applications for additions and deletions of names in the voters’ list, submitted during the hearing sessions on claims and objections that began after the list was published on December 16, 2025.
IANS reported, citing insiders from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, that from December 16, 2025, to January 3, 2026 (the latest trend available), the poll body has received 1,90,463 Form-6 applications, which pertain to the inclusion of new names in the voters’ list.
(with IANS inputs)
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