'Commission misguided by BJP:' TMC delegation alleges disrespect during its meeting with ECI amid SIR row in Bengal

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], March 9 (ANI): A Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation met with Election Commission of India (ECI) officials, including Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, in Kolkata on Monday, amid ongoing controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
Following their meeting with the Election Commission of India (ECI) in Kolkata on Monday, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation alleged that they were treated with disrespect.
Speaking to the media, TMC minister and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim claimed that despite the delegation presenting their concerns in a humble manner, ECI officials allegedly displayed bad behaviour towards them. Hakim further alleged that the Commission is being misguided by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
"We went and presented our points, and instantly they said that you are shouting. We were putting forth our points humbly, and that point is the same: we are Indians; don't take away our rights... In the process that lasted so many days, you did not find a single infiltrator... You caused suffering to lakhs of people... The responsibility lies with you... Their behaviour was very bad. They were waiting for a fight to happen... This commission is being misguided by the BJP, and the commission is busy pleasing them," Hakim told reporters.
Shedding light on the delegation's meeting with the ECI, TMC Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya alleged that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar displayed arrogance throughout the interaction. She further claimed that the CEC did not provide the delegation with an adequate opportunity to speak, accusing the Commission of refusing to hear their concerns.
"... The way you are behaving with a woman today who has come as a representative of a recognised party, we know this is the reason why you have targeted the women... He was arrogant... He himself speaks and does not allow anyone to speak..." Bhattacharya told reporters.
Earlier, on February 28, the Election Commission of India (ECI) released the final electoral roll following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in West Bengal, stating that 5,46,053 voters have been deleted using Form 7 after the draft list was published in December 2025.
The total number of voters in West Bengal now stands at 7,04,59,284 voters (7.04 crore) as compared to 7,66,37,529 (7.66 crore) before the SIR exercise, showing a change of more than 61 lakh names in the list.
According to a press note by the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), a total of 58,20,899 Enumeration Forms were not received, as the poll body found 24,16,852 voters to be deceased, 12,20,039 absent, 19,88,076 shifted, 1,38,328 already enrolled, and 57,604 names were deleted based on other reasons.
After the ECI published the draft voter list on December 16, 2025, the poll body added a total of 1,82,036 voters to the list using Forms 6 and 6A, and made 6,671 additions by Form 8.
As per the Commission, 60,06,675 electors under adjudication were included in the final roll. The gender ratio stands at 956, the same as after the publication of draft rolls.
The main objective of the SIR exercise was to ensure the inclusion of all the eligible electors and the exclusion of all the ineligible electors with full transparency at every stage of the process. The revision process utilised a 100 per cent physical verification strategy, where Booth Level Officers (BLOs) personally managed the distribution and collection of enumeration forms, the press note said. (ANI)