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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched one of her sharpest attacks yet on the Election Commission on Tuesday, accusing it of functioning through “WhatsApp messages instead of written notices” and conspiring to remove nearly two crore voters from Bengal’s electoral rolls. Speaking from Delhi’s Bangabhavan, Mamata went as far as demanding the impeachment of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that the constitutional body had become a tool of the ruling BJP.
“The Election Commission is no longer working transparently. Everything is being run through WhatsApp messages,” Mamata said, claiming that official notices were deliberately being avoided to escape accountability. According to her, even discrepancies in English and Bengali spellings of names were being used to issue hearing notices arbitrarily, creating confusion and harassment for voters.
What made the allegations more dramatic was Mamata’s charge that thousands of living voters in Bengal had been officially declared dead in the draft electoral rolls released during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. “They have seated living citizens next to dead names in the Commission’s records,” she said, calling the exercise “inhuman and dangerous for democracy.”
Mamata alleged that the Election Commission, acting in “unholy coordination with the BJP,” was attempting to disenfranchise large sections of Bengal’s population, particularly minorities. She claimed that over 30 percent of Bengal’s population belonged to minority communities and asked pointedly, “Are you planning to remove all of them from the voter list?”
The Chief Minister did not stop there. She publicly demanded that Parliament initiate impeachment proceedings against the Chief Election Commissioner. “I want his impeachment. We may not have the numbers, but history will record this. If something is genuine and for the people’s good, impeachment is possible. There is a constitutional provision for it,” she said.
During the press interaction, Mamata introduced several individuals who, according to her, had been officially marked as dead despite being alive. Family members of people who allegedly died due to stress linked to the SIR process were also present. She claimed that nearly 150 people in Bengal had lost their lives due to anxiety caused by voter list revisions.
Calling the situation unprecedented, Mamata said, “This is worse than NRC. Under the name of SIR, vandalism is being carried out in Bengal.” She alleged that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were being summoned at midnight and subjected to extreme pressure, leading some to take their own lives.
Mamata also cited examples of what she called “absurd notices” sent by the Election Commission. She claimed Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and noted poet Joy Goswami had received notices seeking irrelevant personal information. “Joy Goswami is over 80 years old. Even he had to come to the Supreme Court. Is this democracy?” she asked.
The Chief Minister said she and her party had initially tried to raise their concerns through democratic channels by meeting Election Commission officials. “We went there respectfully. Instead of listening to us, they insulted us. That’s why we boycotted the meeting,” she said, adding that commissioners had allegedly threatened Trinamool leaders. “We told them clearly—we are not your bonded labour.”
Mamata accused the Commission of ignoring Supreme Court directions to publish lists of logical discrepancies and instead changing voter names and appointing BJP leaders as observers. “I respect the institution, but a few people inside it are acting like parrots,” she remarked.
She also questioned the narrative around illegal immigration, saying Bengal was being unfairly branded. “If someone crosses the border illegally, whose responsibility is it? Borders, railways—everything is controlled by the Centre. We repeatedly asked for information, but nothing was shared,” she said.
Addressing allegations that Bengali-speaking citizens were being labelled as Bangladeshi, Mamata called it an attack on identity. “Speaking Bengali is now being treated as a crime,” she said.
The Chief Minister accused central agencies of selectively targeting Trinamool Congress leaders while BJP leaders went untouched. “Our party papers are being stolen, our leaders are being jailed, agencies are being misused. BJP’s so-called saints are sheltering thieves and getting away with it,” she alleged.
Despite the aggressive tone, Mamata struck a defiant note towards the end of her address. “We will not give up even an inch. This is a democratic party. I don’t take decisions alone—we fight together,” she said.
On the upcoming elections, she remained confident. “I’m not a political astrologer, but I believe we will win more seats. BJP will not come to power in Bengal. Even BJP supporters will vote for me,” she said with a smile.
Ending on a lighter note, Mamata added, “I will come to Delhi after winning the elections and treat you all to sweets. But not Delhi’s laddoos.”
With her fiery speech, Mamata Banerjee has once again pushed the voter list controversy to the national spotlight, setting the stage for an intense political and legal battle in the months ahead.
