1 hr ago
Mamata Accuses Election Commission of Manipulating Bengal Rolls
Mamata Banerjee says that changes to voter lists in West Bengal unfairly removed many people’s names.
She believes this helped the BJP and hurt the Trinamool Congress.
The voter-list review was called the Special Intensive Revision, or SIR.
More than 27 lakh people were marked as ineligible, and about seven lakh reportedly appealed.
Mamata also accused election officials of mishandling the election and counting process.
Abhishek Banerjee asked officials to release security-camera recordings from several counting centres.
He also questioned whether some voting machines and election forms matched correctly.
The Trinamool Congress wants investigations and the release of election records.
The article reports these as allegations by the Trinamool Congress, without presenting a response from the Election Commission or BJP.
Mamata Banerjee accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of using the Special Intensive Revision to alter West Bengal’s electoral process.
She alleged that voters were deleted from areas supporting the Trinamool Congress and called SIR a “special incentive” for the BJP.
More than 27 lakh voters were found ineligible after the revision, while the Supreme Court was told that about seven lakh had appealed.
Abhishek Banerjee demanded CCTV footage from counting centres and raised questions about alleged Electronic Voting Machine and Form 17C discrepancies.
The Trinamool Congress demanded the release of election records and footage, a probe into the destruction of about 4,000 EVMs, and investigations into the counting process.
- Who
- Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool Congress leaders, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and Election Commission officials.
- What
- Mamata Banerjee accused election authorities of using the Special Intensive Revision and other procedures to alter voter rolls and the election-counting process.
- Where
- The allegations concern West Bengal, with Mamata speaking at a press conference in New Delhi.
- When
- The allegations were made at a Thursday press conference, after INDIA bloc parties announced protests against the Election Commission.
- Why
- The Trinamool Congress says voters were deleted, counting may have been mishandled, and election records and CCTV footage are needed to investigate.
Key facts
- Special Intensive Revision
- More than 27 lakh West Bengal voters were found ineligible after the electoral-roll revision.
- Appeals
- The Supreme Court was informed that about seven lakh of those voters had appealed for inclusion.
- CCTV demand
- Abhishek Banerjee requested six hours of footage, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., from counting centres.
- Constituencies questioned
- The Trinamool Congress said it had serious questions about counting in around 100 Assembly constituencies.
- Alleged seat impact
- Abhishek Banerjee claimed that nearly 150 seats were effectively handed to the BJP through the process.
- EVM fire
- Mamata Banerjee called for a probe into a June fire in Kolkata’s Alipore area that reportedly destroyed about 4,000 electronic voting machines.
- Election law
- The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act was passed in December 2023 and came into force in January 2024.
Quotes
Abhishek Banerjee
Trinamool Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP
“Gyanesh Kumar gifted the BJP 150 seats out of 208. I call him ‘Vanish Kumar’ because Gyanesh Kumar ordered the rights of voters across the country to vanish”
theprint.in
“I challenge the Election Commission to release just six hours of CCTV footage, from 3 pm to 9 pm, and let everyone see what happened during that period”
theprint.in
Sources
Related news
Mamata Demands Bengal Repoll, CEC Arrest Over SIR Dispute
Mamata Banerjee Escalates Attack Over West Bengal Voter Deletions
Mamata Demands Fresh Polls, Arrest of Election Chief
Mamata Banerjee Alleges BJP Used AI To Remove Bengal Voters
TMC revives impeachment push against CEC amid Election Commission dissent
Suvendu Adhikari Defends SIR, Blames Opposition Over Bengal Deletions
BJP Plans Major Uttar Pradesh Ticket Overhaul Ahead Elections
Suvendu Adhikari Targets Humayun Kabir Before Rejinagar Bypoll
Bengal BJP Chief Attacks Mamata Amid Trinamool Crisis
BJP MP Urges PM Modi to Create Insurer Bankruptcy Safeguards
