New Delhi: West Bengal Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Dr. Shashi Panja on Monday strongly criticised the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list, describing it as politically motivated and “a backdoor entry for the NRC.”
Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of spreading misinformation and meddling in the affairs of the Election Commission of India (ECI), Panja said the ruling party was attempting to manipulate the process under the guise of electoral reform.
“BJP is trying to spread lies. Trinamool never said that the names of dead voters should remain on the voter list. What’s the special reason behind this that we don’t know! We are against SIR because of this unnecessary hurry. We ask questions to the Election Commission, but it’s the BJP that replies! If the 2024 voter list was correct, then why this change now? SIR is nothing but a backdoor entry for NRC,” Panja asserted.
Questioning the urgency behind the SIR exercise, she said, “We opposed SIR because we questioned why it was being implemented in such haste and not with proper time and preparation. Why this rush to complete SIR within three months? It was done recently in Bihar; suppose they change this or that later, then what happens to the deadline? We questioned the Election Commission about this, but why does the BJP respond instead?”
Panja further argued that if the voter list used during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was deemed valid and credible nationwide, including in West Bengal, there was no justification for another revision so soon.
“Our main question to the Election Commission was simple: if the voter list used for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was considered accurate and valid across India, including Bengal, then why can’t the same voter list be used for the Bengal Assembly elections in 2026?” she asked.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, announced the immediate implementation of a two-tier daily electoral administration system following the SIR notification.
An officer of the rank of Additional CEO will review daily progress with District Magistrates, while officers at the Joint CEO level will coordinate with Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to oversee the process across districts.
The Election Commission has maintained that the SIR aims to ensure the accuracy of the electoral roll. However, the Trinamool Congress insists that the move is politically driven and intended to manipulate voter data, potentially paving the way for divisive policies.
With IANS inputs