Mamata flags harassment of voters , writes fifth letter to ECI
The Statesman | 13 January 2026
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday wrote for the fifth time to the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging widespread harassment of voters and serious administrative lapses in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. In a strongly worded letter addressed to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, she warned that if the present procedure continues, the names of genuine voters could be deleted arbitrarily at any time.
The Chief Minister said the SIR process, as it is being implemented, is “fundamentally flawed, baseless and unconstitutional,” and is causing undue hardship to ordinary citizens instead of fulfilling its stated objective of cleaning the electoral rolls. She expressed deep concern that eligible voters were being unlawfully excluded from the rolls due to procedural irregularities and what she described as “systemic negligence.” Ms Banerjee pointed out that during hearings under the SIR process, many voters are submitting valid documents, but the authorities are neither acknowledging receipt nor issuing any proof of submission.
At a later stage, these very documents are reportedly being termed “missing” or “not found in records,” resulting in deletion of names from the voter list. As voters are left without any documentary evidence of submission, they are rendered entirely dependent on administrative discretion, she said, creating a real risk of disenfranchisement. Reiterating that the purpose of SIR was to correct errors and improve the accuracy of electoral rolls, the Chief Minister stressed that it was never meant to exclude legitimate voters. She alleged that the current approach has turned the exercise into one of intimidation and confusion rather than rectification.