Archive · 24 Sep 2026
Mamata Demands Fresh Polls, Arrest of Election Chief
Mamata Banerjee says many people in West Bengal were wrongly removed from voter lists.
She wants the old voter lists brought back.
She also wants new elections in places where people could not vote.
Banerjee has demanded that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar be arrested and prosecuted.
Other opposition leaders criticized the Election Commission too.
They said officials should be held responsible if election rules were broken.
The BJP disagreed with these accusations.
Its West Bengal leader defended Kumar and said he had conducted elections properly.
The disagreement is about whether the election process protected or harmed people’s voting rights.
Mamata Banerjee demanded Gyanesh Kumar’s immediate arrest and criminal prosecution.
She called for restoring old voter lists and holding fresh polls where voters were allegedly disenfranchised.
Banerjee claimed 92 lakh voters were excluded in West Bengal during the voter-list process.
Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders also demanded accountability and changes at the Election Commission.
West Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya defended Kumar and said he deserved recognition for conducting free elections.
- Who
- Mamata Banerjee, opposition leaders, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and West Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya.
- What
- Banerjee demanded Kumar’s arrest, restoration of old voter lists, and fresh polls in places where voters were allegedly disenfranchised.
- When
- The demands were made on Wednesday; the article also refers to Assembly elections held earlier this year.
- Where
- West Bengal, India, with demands directed at the Election Commission of India.
- Why
- Banerjee and allied opposition figures alleged that voter names were removed and that the electoral process was manipulated; the BJP rejected those allegations.
Opposition parties
Bharatiya Janata Party
Election Commission conduct
Opposition parties
Mamata Banerjee and other opposition leaders alleged that the Election Commission acted unlawfully, lost neutrality, and enabled voter disenfranchisement.
Bharatiya Janata Party
West Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya defended Gyanesh Kumar, saying he had conducted free and peaceful elections and deserved recognition.
Voter-list changes
Opposition parties
Banerjee claimed that 92 lakh voters were excluded in West Bengal and demanded restoration of the old voter lists.
Bharatiya Janata Party
The BJP response cited in the article did not accept Banerjee’s allegations and instead praised the current chief election commissioner.
Accountability and leadership
Opposition parties
Opposition leaders called for Kumar’s removal, legal action against responsible officials, and an explanation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Bharatiya Janata Party
The BJP’s stated position in the article was support for Kumar rather than calls for his removal.
- Main demand
- Immediate arrest and criminal prosecution of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
- Election demand
- Restore old voter lists and conduct fresh polls where voters were allegedly prevented from voting.
- Claimed voter exclusions
- Mamata Banerjee claimed that 92 lakh voters were excluded in West Bengal.
- Objections cited
- Banerjee said the Trinamool Congress raised nearly 32 lakh objections.
- Assembly election figures
- The article says Trinamool Congress received 2.6 crore votes and the BJP received 2.92 crore votes earlier this year.
- Opposition response
- Congress, Communist Party of India (Marxist), and Aam Aadmi Party representatives criticized the Election Commission.
- BJP response
- Samik Bhattacharya defended Gyanesh Kumar and said he should receive a Padma award.