West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday escalated her attack on the BJP and the Election Commission of India, alleging that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is being weaponised to manipulate the voter list ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly Elections. According to Banerjee, the SIR process is coercive, disproportionate, and aimed at removing genuine voters from vulnerable communities to benefit the ruling party at the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The controversy — now widely known as the Bengal SIR row — has triggered a broader political confrontation involving the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the central government, and the Election Commission, with ripple effects felt across districts such as North 24 Parganas, Bongaon, and other refugee-dominated regions.

What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls?

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a door-to-door verification exercise designed to update and clean voter lists, identify ineligible or duplicate entries, and collect or confirm information submitted through enumeration forms. The Election Commission claims that the SIR of electoral rolls is necessary to ensure credibility, transparency, and accuracy in India’s electoral system.

However, reports from the ground reveal mounting pressure on Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to execute the revision SIR of electoral rolls within rigid deadlines. The workload, coupled with administrative confusion, has allegedly led to multiple tragedies — including cases where BLOs dies by suicide — raising questions about training, accountability, and the human cost of the exercise.

Mamata Banerjee’s Key Allegations

Mamata Banerjee has written multiple letters to the Election Commission, calling the SIR process “unplanned,” “chaotic,” and “coercive.” She accuses the commission of acting as a “BJP Commission” and executing political directives from Delhi.

Her claims focus on several alleged irregularities:

• Hasty timelines and unclear procedures
• Lack of support staff and restrictions on using existing data-entry teams
• Forced verification under pressure
• Ambiguity around documentation required from voters
• Potential exclusion of groups historically targeted in political conflicts

Banerjee insists that the SIR of electoral rolls is being used to delete legitimate voters — especially Matua community members, refugee families, and beneficiaries of state welfare schemes — which form a critical part of the Trinamool Congress support base.

The Matua Question: Identity, Citizenship, and Politics

The Matua community is emerging as a central fault line in the Mamata Banerjee–BJP clash. The community has deep roots in North 24 Parganas and is represented in powerful organisations like the Matua Mahasangha. According to Banerjee, Matua residents who apply for citizenship under the CAA risk being categorised as “foreigners” — potentially triggering the removal of their names from the draft rolls during the SIR process.

Political analysts point out that the Matua vote has been decisive in previous elections in West Bengal and even in Uttar Pradesh, making the dispute far more than a bureaucratic disagreement — it is a contest over representation, mobility, and political leverage.

How the Opposition Frames the Issue

For the Trinamool Congress, the Bengal SIR row is not merely procedural — it is ideological. Banerjee frames the revision as part of a wider centralisation strategy led by the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, arguing that it undermines constitutional rights and democratic participation.

She has drawn sharp rhetorical parallels, likening votebandi (voter suppression) to notebandi (demonetisation), claiming both represent authoritarian attempts to weaken ordinary Indians. Her speeches portray the SIR process as yet another top-down imposition from Delhi designed to reshape the political landscape of Bengal without public consent.

The BJP and Election Commission Push Back

BJP leaders accuse Banerjee of fearmongering and defending what they call an “inflated” or “manufactured” voter base. They argue that the Special Intensive Revision ECI undertakes is a standard nationwide practice, not a targeted effort. For the BJP, voter roll cleaning is a matter of law, transparency, and legitimacy, not politics.

The Election Commission has reiterated its neutrality, praised Booth Level Officers, and said that the SIR is aimed at safeguarding democratic integrity. It stresses that the revision applies across India and is not exclusive to West Bengal.

Political Parties and the Larger Democratic Imperative

Multiple political parties have demanded more clarity, citing the deaths of BLOs and the scale of proposed deletions. Several groups are considering legal petitions, and some activists have floated the possibility of approaching the Supreme Court if the Election Commission fails to address alleged irregularities.

As the Bengal 2026 elections approach, the SIR is becoming more than an administrative audit — it is an ideological struggle over citizenship, identity, and the fundamental right to vote.

A Contest With National Implications

The Bengal SIR row exposes a deep division in Indian politics: the collision between electoral governance and regional autonomy. Whether the SIR of voter lists is a simple administrative correction or a broader political strategy depends on which side of the conflict one believes.

But one thing is certain: the battle over West Bengal voter list revision will shape the coming election cycle, influence community relations — especially among the Matua community — and intensify the national debate over election commission controversy in India.