TMC Leaders Criticize Election Commission Amid Voter List Controversy in West Bengal
TMC's Stand on Voter List Revisions
Senior leaders from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), including former Rajya Sabha MP Majid Meman, expressed their support for party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee's criticism of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in West Bengal. Banerjee accused the Election Commission of bias, stating that the situation in West Bengal is unique, as voters here are committed, which has led to the BJP's failures in the state. He lamented that the Election Commission has not maintained its impartiality in recent elections, suggesting that it has been operating in favor of the current central government.
Discussion with the Election Commission
A TMC delegation met with the Election Commission to discuss around ten issues, including the ongoing SIR in West Bengal. Abhishek Banerjee challenged the BJP regarding the upcoming assembly elections next year, claiming that there are discrepancies in the voter list software, rather than in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). He called upon all like-minded parties to unite against these issues.
Concerns Over Voter Disenfranchisement
Banerjee asserted that opposition parties have failed to grasp the algorithms and software being used to disenfranchise between 5 to 10 million voters. He demanded that if these issues are not occurring, the Election Commission should release a list of 1.36 crore logical discrepancies. He emphasized that the current government should be prepared for a challenge, stating, 'You can use the Election Commission, ED, CBI, paramilitary forces, judiciary, and media, but the public stands with us. If Congress had taken a stand, the BJP would have lost.'