Explained: Why EC’s SIR Exercise Has Triggered A Political Storm In West Bengal

Last Updated:October 29, 2025, 14:35 IST

West Bengal has witnessed the sharpest resistance to the Election Commission’s SIR, with TMC accusing BJP of using it to manipulate voter lists

The SIR will begin in West Bengal on November 4 and will end by December 4.(Image for representation: News18)

The Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, a nationwide exercise to update and verify voter lists, has triggered political opposition in several states. But in West Bengal, the exercise has triggered a sharper reaction, with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) calling it “NRC in disguise" and opposition parties accusing the Election Commission of acting without consultation.

The debate has brought back Bengal’s recurring anxieties over voter identity and citizenship, themes that have shaped its politics since the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) in 2019–20.

What Is SIR, And Why Is It Being Conducted?

The Special Intensive Revision is part of the Election Commission’s process to verify and clean voter lists. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) visit households to confirm voter details, delete names of the deceased or relocated, and add new eligible voters. Political parties can nominate Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to observe the process.

West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal said the exercise will cover 7.6 crore voters and finish by December 4. He said, “We saw how SIR was conducted in Bihar for 7.79 crore voters and without machine-readable data; we have everything in West Bengal. Why can’t we complete the exercise in the given period?"

Agarwal added that a mobile app would allow officials, parties, and voters to track verification status, and said law and order would be managed by state forces. “We don’t need central forces, the state forces are sufficient," he said.

Why Has It Sparked Political Protests In Bengal?

Among all states where the SIR is being carried out, West Bengal has seen the most intense pushback. The ruling TMC has accused the BJP of using the exercise to “manipulate voter lists under the pretext of identifying illegal infiltrators," while other opposition parties have questioned the EC’s planning and consultation.

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the BJP was attempting to use the poll body to gain an advantage in the state. “BJP has neither organisation nor acceptability in Bengal, so now it is trying to manipulate the voter list with the help of EC," he said, warning that any deletion of genuine voters “to aid BJP’s agenda will be met with the protest it deserves." The party has also alleged that the BJP’s reference to “foreign infiltrators" is “an excuse to target Muslim voters and create division."

Other TMC leaders have voiced concern over the timeline of the revision. Jaiprakash Narayan termed the schedule a “rush job" that could undermine the accuracy of the process. “If Bengal polls are due early next year, there’s not enough time for claims and objections," he said.

At a recent all-party meeting, TMC minister Arup Biswas questioned the haste behind the rollout. “It took two years to complete SIR in 2002; why are they doing this now?" he asked. Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim went further, calling it an “NRC exercise in disguise." “We will revolt against CAA masked as SIR, and the way BJP and EC are hand in hand," he said.

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee echoed the charge of political targeting, saying at a rally in Nadia, “You (BJP) are trying to select voters and drop those who do not vote for you. They have sent instructions to remove 1 crore people. But we will not let that happen."

The sharp reaction is rooted in Bengal’s political and demographic context. The state has one of India’s highest shares of border districts and a long history of cross-border migration, especially from Bangladesh. During the anti-CAA and anti-NRC protests in 2019–20, Bengal witnessed some of the largest demonstrations in the country, and its Assembly passed a resolution opposing the CAA in 2020.

For many residents of North and South 24 Parganas, Murshidabad, and Malda, districts where citizenship documentation has long been patchy, the door-to-door verification under SIR has revived fears of exclusion. Opposition parties say that in such areas, any large-scale verification exercise inevitably carries political and social sensitivities.

What Have Other Opposition Parties Said?

The Congress and CPI(M) have also criticised the Election Commission’s approach, though their objections focus on process rather than intent.

West Bengal Congress president Shuvankar Sarkar said, “We had submitted a memorandum to the EC, demanding 16 modifications to the SIR process as notified for Bihar in June. None of our suggestions has been considered by the EC. The only change is the addition of a notice phase for hearing and verification lasting 53 days after the end of the claims and objections period. This modification is not enough to address the existing anomalies."

CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim said, “There is provision for death and birth registration in our country, and it is the Election Commission’s duty to ensure that names of genuine voters remain on the rolls." He added, “How can the BJP and its central leaders say that one crore names will be struck off from the electoral rolls in Bengal following the SIR? It is only after the process is completed that the exact number can be known."

How Has The BJP Responded?

The BJP has defended the SIR, describing it as necessary to maintain accurate and transparent voter rolls. It says the TMC’s resistance reflects its fear of losing support from ineligible voters.

State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said, “TMC is shouting against SIR because it is afraid. They know if SIR happens, those Bangladeshi Muslims who got enrolled in the voters’ list and are a solid votebank of the TMC, will be deleted."

BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul said, “The EC has already said that no genuine voter’s name will be deleted and no illegal voter’s name will remain in the electoral roll. The people of West Bengal are hoping for a transparent process."

Bureaucratic Shuffle

Just before the SIR rollout, the West Bengal government transferred 64 IAS officers and hundreds of civil service officials, including District Magistrates in 17 districts such as Malda, Murshidabad, and the two 24 Parganas, many of which share borders with Bangladesh and Bihar.

The BJP objected to the reshuffle in a letter to the Election Commission, calling it a violation of guidelines. The party’s state leaders alleged that the move could influence the upcoming voter revision process. Union minister Sukanta Majumdar remarked that his party would “see what the purpose of these transfers are, and on whose ‘gurumantra’ it was done," warning that if the new officers were seen “working on Trinamool’s instructions," the BJP would “democratically resist it with full force."

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar clarified that administrative reshuffles before an SIR are within a state’s rights, but any transfers after its announcement require ECI approval.

What Happens Next?

The SIR will begin in West Bengal on November 4 and will end by December 4. Training for Booth Level Officers and Agents is underway, and the EC has urged political parties to cooperate.

While other states have viewed the SIR as a routine administrative task, Bengal’s experience with citizenship-linked controversies has made it far more sensitive to the exercise.

Karishma Jain

Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a variety of subjects, including Indian politics and policy, culture and the arts, technology and social change. Follow her @kar...Read More

Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a variety of subjects, including Indian politics and policy, culture and the arts, technology and social change. Follow her @kar...

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