Mamata, EC Spat Deepens Over Voter List in Bengal

West Bengal government and Election Commission lock horns over Special Intensive Revision preparations.

- SUPROTIM MUKHERJEE

The simmering tension between the West Bengal Government and the Election Commission of India (ECI) has erupted into a full-scale confrontation over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the State's electoral rolls, casting a shadow over preparations for the 2026 Assembly elections.

With both sides issuing conflicting statements and escalating political rhetoric, the dispute has reached a critical juncture, threatening the integrity and timeliness of the voter list update process—the first major revision in more than two decades.

The clash intensified on Friday when the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal, led by senior IAS officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal, informed the ECI that the State is fully prepared to commence the SIR, a comprehensive exercise to update electoral rolls.

This followed the ECI's directive to all Chief Electoral Officers to complete recruitment and training of key personnel, including Booth Level Officers (BLOs), BLO Supervisors, and Booth Level Agents (BLAs), as outlined in a letter issued last month.

The CEO's office substantiated its claim with detailed preparation reports from all 23 districts, confirming logistical readiness.

To align with the ECI's new guideline limiting polling booths to 1,200 voters, West Bengal has increased its polling stations from 80,680 to over 94,000, with updated lists already shared with political parties.

However, within hours, the State secretariat Nabanna threw a spanner into the plan, with Home Secretary Nandini Chakravarty penning a letter to the CEO asserting that the Government is not prepared to undertake the SIR.

The letter criticized the lack of "consultation or prior intimation" from the CEO's office, demanding clarification on media reports claiming readiness.

Enclosing newspaper clippings, Chakravarty sought to dispel what the State perceives as misinformation, escalating the administrative rift.