West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written a letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, urging him to immediately stop the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list going on in the state. He warned that this could lead to massive disenfranchisement of voters and cause irreparable damage to the foundation of Indian democracy.
In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on Saturday (January 3, 2026), CM Banerjee expressed serious concern over the alleged irregularities, procedural violations and administrative lapses in the SIR in the state and said that the process was unplanned, inadequately prepared and done in haste.
There are serious flaws in the SIR process: Mamata Banerjee
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed, ‘There are serious flaws in the SIR process and it attacks the basic structure of our democracy and the spirit of the Constitution.’ He alleged that excessive haste and lack of adequate preparation had led to serious lapses, including faulty information technology systems, inconsistent instructions and inadequate training of officials appointed for the task.
He said in the letter, ‘If it is allowed to continue in its present form, SIR will cause irreparable harm, lead to massive voter disenfranchisement and attack the foundation of democracy.’
Election Commission should take corrective measures- Mamata Banerjee
The Chief Minister urged the Election Commission to take immediate corrective measures and said that failing this, the arbitrary and unplanned process should be stopped. Mamata also raised the issue of alleged non-appointment of booth-level agents (BLAs) during the hearing process and said this raises serious questions on the impartiality, transparency and credibility of the SIR.
Holding the Election Commission accountable for the process, Banerjee said the Election Commission of India should be held fully accountable for any illegal, arbitrary or partisan action taken under its supervision or direction.
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