Mamata Sees Red As Election Commission Sets New Norms

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on June 26, launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission (EC), alleging that its new guidelines for electoral roll verification amounted to a covert implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), with her state as the primary target.

- Suprotim Mukherjee

She claimed the electoral body was acting as a "stooge of the BJP."

Speaking from Digha in Purba Medinipur, where she was overseeing preparations for the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Banerjee said she had received two lengthy letters from the EC, each spanning 25-30 pages.

Although she had not examined them fully, she said a cursory glance revealed that the Commission was now demanding a declaration form — Annexure D — from voters born between July 1, 1987, and December 2, 2004.

This form, she alleged, requires submission of both parents' birth certificates as proof of citizenship.

Calling the move a "scam," Banerjee questioned the logic behind targeting those born within this specific window.

"What is the rationale behind selecting these dates? Why isolate voters born after 1987? This is more dangerous than the NRC and must be resisted by all opposition parties," she declared.

According to EC sources, the new guidelines are part of a special intensive revision of electoral rolls, set to begin in Bihar ahead of Assembly elections later this year. Under the new rules, voters registered before 2003 will not be required to furnish additional documents. However, those registered after 2003 must submit proof of identity and citizenship. The process includes door-to-door verification across the country, and in some states, the 2004 roll will serve as the baseline.