Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, has sparked controversy by claiming that the State’s electoral rolls contain nearly one crore questionable entries — including Rohingya immigrants, Bangladeshi Muslim voters, duplicate entries, deceased voters, and other fake voters.
Addressing the media on Saturday, the BJP leader called on the Election Commission of India (ECI) to intervene immediately. “The Election Commission of India should remove these names to ensure the credibility of the voter list,” Mr. Adhikari insisted, framing it as an essential step for protecting democratic integrity.
Echoing his concerns, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar demanded that the ECI launch a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in West Bengal, similar to the exercise currently underway in Bihar — where the draft roll has already seen the number of voters fall by nearly 65 lakh.
“SIR is a standard practice by the Election Commission. Even in 2002, such a revision removed about 20 lakh ineligible names from West Bengal’s voter list,” Mr. Majumdar explained. “It is the Election Commission’s duty to rectify and maintain an accurate voter list. A well-proof voter list is necessary to make our democracy vibrant,” he added.
However, the move has met sharp criticism from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). Senior leader and MP Abhishek Banerjee dismissed the revision process as politically motivated, branding it “Silent Invisible Rigging.”
Banerjee accused the Election Commission of unfairly targeting genuine voters while overlooking absurd irregularities. “Under the pretext of SIR, the names of Indian citizens are being deleted. Meanwhile, there is even a residential certificate issued in the name of a dog, and the Election Commission accepts it — yet real voters can’t cast their votes,” he alleged.
“The SIR that they are talking about — Special Intensive Revision — actually means Silent Invisible Rigging, launched by the Election Commission in favour of the BJP. Those who question the government with their vote are the ones whose names are being removed,” Banerjee charged.