Kolkata: Amidst the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise of the electoral roll in West Bengal, a five-member delegation of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) will meet the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) at BBD Bagh in Kolkata on Saturday. According to the TMC, the delegation comprising Chandrima Bhattacharya, Manas Ranjan Bhunia, Moloy Ghatak, Arup Biswas, and Shashi Panja will meet the CEO at 2 PM.
This development comes after the Election Commission of India (ECI) revised the timeline for the ongoing SIR of the electoral roll in West Bengal, extending the final publication date to February 14, 2026. The Election Commission, in an official statement, said that this extension was granted considering the massive enumeration work and the need for proper verification and rationalization of polling stations across the state.
The Election Commission published the draft electoral roll on December 16 after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal. It showed that 58,20,899 voters, constituting 7.59 percent, were removed due to death, unknown status, or permanent relocation.
According to the Election Commission’s statement, out of a total of 7,66,37,529 voters, 7,08,16,630 voters had submitted their enumeration forms by December 11. The Election Commission said that eligible voters can be re-added to the electoral roll during the claims and objections period from December 16 to January 15, 2026.
Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the BJP, alleging that the SIR exercise was being used to destabilize the state government. While announcing ex-gratia payments of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh to those hospitalized, Mamata Banerjee accused the central government of selectively implementing the SIR in non-BJP ruled states like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, “Forty people have died because of the SIR (Special Summary Revision). An ex-gratia payment of ₹2 lakh has been announced. For those in the hospital, the amount is ₹1 lakh… The SIR was announced just three months before the elections, solely to prevent the state government from functioning. Elections are being held in Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Assam. The SIR is happening in Tamil Nadu and Kerala because the BJP is not in power there. It’s happening in West Bengal because the BJP is not in power here. Why isn’t the SIR happening in the border states where the BJP is in power?”
Appealing to people to appear for the hearings and fill out the forms correctly, CM Mamata accused the BJP of trying to “drive out minorities, Matuas, and Rajbanshis.” She also warned voters against supporting independent candidates, claiming that it would indirectly benefit the BJP.
