West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has flagged alleged irregularities, procedural violations and administrative lapses in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, urging the Election Commission of India (ECI) to immediately rectify the issues or halt the exercise altogether. In a letter addressed to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Banerjee alleged that the revision process was being carried out in “undue haste” without adequate groundwork, resulting in faulty IT systems, inconsistent instructions and insufficient training of officials.
WhatsApp Orders, No Planning
The Trinamool Congress supremo claimed that critical instructions were being issued almost daily, often through informal channels such as WhatsApp and text messages, without proper written notifications or statutory orders, a requirement for an exercise of such constitutional significance. “There has been no proper or uniform training of officials entrusted with this sensitive constitutional responsibility.
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Instructions issued are inconsistent, often contradictory, and reflect a complete lack of planning,” Banerjee wrote. She further warned that allowing the process to continue in its present form could lead to large-scale disenfranchisement of eligible voters and cause irreparable damage to the democratic process. The chief minister said she had raised similar concerns in earlier letters sent in November and December, describing the exercise as “unplanned, ill-prepared and ad hoc.”
The Election Commission had not responded to the letter till 6:45 pm on Sunday. The ongoing SIR is being conducted in 12 states and Union Territories, following a similar exercise in Bihar last year, and has been a point of contention between the Trinamool Congress government and the poll body.
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