Kolkata: Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday while announcing SIR in 12 states, hinting towards the West Bengal government urged the government to ‘follow’ the Constitution.
Asked that Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders mentioned that they will protest if SIR is done in West Bengal, Kumar said that no one should go 'against' the Constitution.
Reacting to SIR exercise in West Bengal, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said that if any genuine voters’ name is deleted then TMC will gherao Election Commission of India’s office at the national capital with one lakh TMC workers.
“Our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and party’s national secretary Abhishek Banerjee were the first to demand correction in the voter's list. But in the name of SIR if someone is planning to delete names of genuine voter’s name then it won’t be tolerated. I would ask people of the state not to fall into the trap of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). BJP is saying if some genuine voter’s name is deleted then they will help in person in getting the name included. Why will any genuine voter’s name be deleted?” questioned Ghosh.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari welcoming the decision of ECI said that ‘illegal voters’ names will now be deleted.
Notably, before and after the announcement of SIR in West Bengal, the state government had issued transfer notices of at least 70 officials.
Political analyst Biswanath Chakraborty stated, “Going by the time limit that the exercise would take then the Assembly election in Bengal cannot be held before April 2026. With the transfer of officials it is clear that the state government got shaken.”
