Suvendu mounts strong defence of EC, blames Mamata for 27 lakh deletions in Bengal SIR

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday mounted a strong defence of the Election Commission amid the political row over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, blaming former chief minister Mamata Banerjee for the deletion of 27 lakh names and asserting that neither the BJP nor the poll panel could be held responsible.

Addressing a press conference here, Adhikari also cited the September 26 meeting of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi to argue that SIR-related decisions were taken collectively and not unilaterally by the CEC.

Showing a photograph released by the Election Commission of the three commissioners sitting together, the BJP leader said it demonstrated that decisions relating to the SIR had been taken jointly.

"Those who are unable to mentally accept the BJP's victory in Bengal are trying to spread confusion by clinging to a fabricated report. This picture itself proves that every decision relating to the SIR was taken jointly and unanimously. There is no question of anyone imposing a decision unilaterally," Adhikari said.

The Election Commission had on Saturday said the June 24, 2025 order for the nationwide SIR and subsequent schedules received the unanimous approval of all three commissioners.

The clarification came amid a controversy following an Indian Express report that Sandhu and Joshi had recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over 10 months to various decisions and orders.

Adhikari said the responsibility for the deletion of 27 lakh names lay with Banerjee and not the BJP or the EC, claiming that judicial officers had taken the decision following Supreme Court directions in a case filed by her.

"The responsibility for the deletion of 27 lakh names lies with Mamata Banerjee, not the BJP or the EC. Judicial officers took the decision following the Supreme Court's directions in a case filed by her," he said.

His remarks came a day after Banerjee stepped up her criticism of the CEC, alleging that the SIR was being used to help the BJP capture Bengal and demanding fresh elections using the pre-SIR voter list.

The TMC lost the West Bengal Assembly polls to the BJP in May this year, ending its 15-year rule in the state. The party has attributed its electoral setback, among other factors, to the SIR and what it called a "biased Election Commission".

The voter-roll revision resulted in the deletion of lakhs of names, while lakhs of others were placed under adjudication.

On the deletion issue, Adhikari said Banerjee had approached the Supreme Court and that the matter was subsequently entrusted to judicial officers.

"You (Mamata Banerjee) went to the Supreme Court. Acting on your petition, the court entrusted the matter to judges. So why is the EC being blamed now? She is responsible for this," he said.

According to figures submitted by the EC to the Supreme Court, more than 22 lakh of the 27.16 lakh electors deleted during the Bengal SIR have appealed for restoration.

The poll panel has said the adjudication process involved discrepancies identified in the electoral rolls and that judicial officers ultimately ordered the deletion of 27.16 lakh names. The Supreme Court subsequently directed the setting up of appellate tribunals to hear challenges against the deletions.

The EC, in its September 26 statement, also said changes made to Form 6 for voter enrolment had been upheld by the Supreme Court. It said letters sent by Sandhu and Joshi to the Cabinet Secretary related to an officer on deputation and did not concern policy or IT division matters.

Adhikari said the meeting of the three commissioners and the EC's subsequent statement had undercut the opposition's contention that the SIR was being driven by the CEC alone.

He also accused opposition parties and some news organisations of spreading "canards" over the SIR after failing to accept the BJP's victory in the state.

"If SIR is good in Kerala, why is it bad in West Bengal? We have won 208 seats, while the two sides (TMC and its allies) have 80. Mamata Banerjee is unable to accept the people's verdict," he claimed.

Adhikari said the opposition's objections to the SIR were politically motivated and framed the electoral-roll dispute as part of the continuing political contest in West Bengal after the Assembly elections.

With the Election Commission facing continued scrutiny over its functioning and more than 22 lakh deleted electors having appealed against their exclusion, the SIR remains a major issue in the state's post-election politics.