2 hrs ago
Mamata Banerjee Demands Bengal Repoll, CEC Arrest Over SIR
Mamata Banerjee says West Bengal should hold its Assembly election again.
She wants the election to use an older voter list from before a voter-roll review called SIR.
She also wants Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar removed and arrested.
Banerjee says the BJP and election officials harmed the earlier election.
These are political allegations and have not been established as official findings.
Her demands followed a report about disagreements among election commissioners.
The report said two commissioners objected at least 14 times to decisions connected to voter-list changes.
The Election Commission says asking questions and having different views are normal during its work.
It says the full commission agreed unanimously on its final decisions.
Mamata Banerjee demanded fresh West Bengal Assembly polls using the voter list issued before the Special Intensive Revision.
She called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s arrest and removal, alleging the BJP and Election Commission compromised the election.
Banerjee announced pan-India protests while Kumar remains Chief Election Commissioner.
An Indian Express report said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected at least 14 times over 10 months to SIR-linked decisions.
The Election Commission said internal questions and differing views are normal and that all final decisions, including those on SIR, were unanimous.
- Who
- Mamata Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress chief and former West Bengal Chief Minister, and the Election Commission of India, including Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
- What
- Banerjee demanded a fresh West Bengal Assembly election using the pre-SIR voter list and called for Kumar’s arrest and removal.
- Where
- West Bengal, with Banerjee also calling for protests across India.
- When
- Wednesday, September 23, after a report on objections by two election commissioners.
- Why
- Banerjee alleged that the BJP and election officials compromised the earlier election, while the Election Commission defended its procedures and unanimous final decisions.
Banerjee and Opposition Critics
Election Commission of India
Whether West Bengal should vote again
Banerjee and Opposition Critics
Banerjee wants a fresh Assembly election using the old voter list, alleging that the earlier election was compromised.
Election Commission of India
The Election Commission has not accepted the repoll demand and maintains that the electoral-roll exercise is being conducted under its statutory mandate.
Meaning of commissioners’ objections
Banerjee and Opposition Critics
Banerjee and opposition parties view the reported objections by Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi as evidence that the poll panel’s functioning should be questioned.
Election Commission of India
The Election Commission says internal queries and differing views are part of standard procedures and do not indicate a breakdown or split.
CEC’s conduct and accountability
Banerjee and Opposition Critics
Banerjee alleges that Gyanesh Kumar and officials aligned with the BJP manipulated the election and says he should leave office and face arrest.
Election Commission of India
The Election Commission says its orders have full legal sanction and that final decisions, including those on SIR, were made unanimously.
Key facts
- Main demand
- A fresh West Bengal Assembly election using the voter list issued before the Special Intensive Revision.
- Demand against CEC
- Banerjee called for Gyanesh Kumar’s arrest, removal and legal accountability.
- Protests
- Banerjee called for pan-India protests while Kumar remains Chief Election Commissioner.
- Reported objections
- The Indian Express reported at least 14 objections by Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over 10 months.
- Issues cited in report
- The objections reportedly concerned voter deletions, additions, electoral-roll data management and related orders.
- Election Commission response
- The Election Commission said written observations, queries and differing views are normal during internal deliberations.
- Final decisions
- The Election Commission said all final decisions over the past year, including those concerning SIR, were unanimous.
Quotes
Mamata Banerjee
Former West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader
“They cannot depute their own EROs in the name of the BJP IT team. What we had said earlier has now been completely exposed. Gyanesh Kumar has misused the police and, in coordination with the BJP, they have deputed their own BJP-minded people across the system. Such a scandal has never happened before”
wionews.com
“This is such a scandalous story. We had never seen this in our lives. This Election Commissioner must be arrested. He has no moral authority to continue, and the BJP must see that they cannot destroy our Constitution. They cannot demolish democracy”
wionews.com
Sources
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