TMC alleges voter harassment in SIR exercise as EC holds consultations in Bengal

Political tensions over the SIR exercise in West Bengal dominated Election Commission consultations with parties in Kolkata. The TMC alleged voter harassment, while the BJP demanded fewer poll phases. The EC assured political parties that elections would be conducted fairly and peacefully

Kolkata: The simmering political battle over SIR in West Bengal spilt into the EC’s pre-poll consultations on Monday as parties met the election panel separately, with the TMC alleging voter harassment and the BJP pressing for fewer phases in the elections.

The interactions, held at a hotel in New Town on the eastern fringes of Kolkata, saw delegations from the ruling Trinamool Congress, BJP, CPI(M), Congress and other parties meeting the EC’s full bench led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to place their concerns before it.

---

The consultations come amid an intensifying political confrontation between the ruling TMC, the BJP and the EC over the ongoing SIR exercise, which has triggered allegations of voter exclusion and counter-claims about infiltration and electoral integrity.

Emerging from its meeting with the commission, the TMC alleged that the revision process had led to harassment of ordinary citizens and claimed its concerns were not adequately heard during the interaction.

Senior party leader and state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said she was asked not to “shout” while raising objections about the exercise.

“I am a woman, and I was told ‘don’t shout’. Why should I not raise my voice when we are speaking about people’s rights?” Bhattacharya told reporters after the meeting.

She said whenever the party attempted to raise concerns over the SIR process, the commission responded by saying the matter was sub judice in the Supreme Court, where the TMC has challenged the exercise.

“Whenever we spoke about SIR, they said the matter is in the Supreme Court. If that is the case, why did they call us for the meeting? When they have invited us, they must listen to what we have to say,” she said.

Defending the party’s move to approach the apex court, Bhattacharya said it was the responsibility of the ruling party to protect the rights of citizens.

The SIR exercise has become one of the most contentious political issues in the state in recent months, with the TMC alleging that the revision is aimed at removing genuine voters from electoral rolls, a charge rejected by the Election Commission.

According to official data released on February 28, around 63.66 lakh names, about 8.3 per cent of the electorate, have been deleted since the revision began in November last year, bringing down the voter base from about 7.66 crore to a little over 7.04 crore.

Additionally, more than 60 lakh electors have been placed under the “under adjudication” category, meaning their eligibility will be decided through legal scrutiny in the coming weeks, a development that could potentially reshape electoral equations in several constituencies.

Kolkata Mayor and senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim alleged that the exercise had forced ordinary citizens to repeatedly prove their nationality.

“The BJP has created a perception that this state is a place for Rohingyas and infiltrators, and the commission framed policies accordingly. But in the two-month-long process, you did not find any proof of that. Instead, Indian citizens were harassed,” Hakim said.

He also claimed that many people were being forced to stand in long queues to complete verification procedures.

“People are leaving their work and daily livelihood just to prove they are citizens. Hundreds have fallen ill, and some have died while standing in queues,” he alleged.

The BJP delegation, however, raised a different set of issues during its separate meeting with the commission, focusing on the security environment and the conduct of the polls.

The party demanded that the upcoming assembly elections be conducted in not more than three phases, arguing that a prolonged polling schedule could facilitate the movement of anti-social elements.

“We demanded a one, two or three-phase election, but not more,” BJP leader Jagannath Chattopadhyay said after the meeting.

The BJP also expressed dissatisfaction over the utilisation of central forces deployed in the state, alleging that the state police was influencing their deployment and that route marches were being conducted in relatively peaceful areas instead of sensitive locations.

“If a violence-free and fearless environment is to be created, the Commission must take action against state police and government officials who prevent voters from casting their own ballots,” a BJP leader said.

The CPI(M), which also met the poll panel separately, demanded that the elections be conducted in a single phase, arguing that multi-phase polls allow anti-social elements to move from one district to another and influence the process.

According to EC officials, parties also raised concerns about poll violence, the use of crude bombs and illegal firearms, and the need for adequate deployment of Central Armed Police Forces.

Addressing the delegations, the chief election commissioner assured political parties that the commission would ensure free, fair and transparent elections in the state.

“The Election Commission has zero tolerance towards violence. We will not leave any stone unturned in ensuring impartial, transparent and peaceful elections,” Kumar told the delegations, according to officials.

He also reiterated that the SIR exercise had been conducted in a transparent and unbiased manner and said statutory provisions allow electors to file claims and objections for inclusion, deletion or correction of entries in the rolls.