Trinamool Congress Threatens to Impeach Chief Election Commissioner Over Electoral Roll Revision

The Trinamool Congress has said it will reach out to other political parties to explore the possibility of initiating impeachment proceedings against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, intensifying its confrontation with the Election Commission over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal ahead of the Assembly elections. Party sources said the move follows a sharp standoff between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the top leadership of the Election Commission during a meeting at the poll body’s Delhi office on Monday. Confirming the development, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee told reporters that the manner in which the SIR exercise was being conducted was “incorrect" and had serious implications for voters’ rights. “We are considering impeaching the Chief Election Commissioner because of the way he is conducting the SIR. It affects the voting rights of every citizen," the MP said in Delhi, adding that the party would consult other Opposition parties on the issue. Earlier in the day, Mamata Banerjee addressed a press conference, alleging that the Election Commission was selectively using the SIR to remove voters from constituencies represented by Trinamool MLAs. She claimed that while constituencies held by BJP legislators saw deletions of only 3,000 to 4,000 voters, Trinamool-held seats witnessed deletions ranging from 40,000 to one lakh names. Citing her own Bhabanipur constituency in south Kolkata, the chief minister alleged that around 40,000 names had already been removed from the draft electoral rolls, with the final figure likely to touch one lakh. She further accused the poll body of unilaterally deleting 58 lakh names from the draft voter list without consulting electoral registration officers. Banerjee also alleged that notices were being issued indiscriminately in the name of “logical discrepancies," claiming that even noted economist and Nobel laureate Amartya Sen had been summoned for a hearing. The Trinamool’s impeachment pitch has added to speculation within the opposition INDIA bloc about mounting a coordinated challenge to the Chief Election Commissioner, recalling similar demands raised during voter roll revision controversies in other states, including Bihar. Impeachment of the Chief Election Commissioner requires a motion in Parliament backed by a substantial majority. The Election Commission has, however, rejected allegations of bias, maintaining that the SIR is a constitutional responsibility aimed at ensuring accurate and clean electoral rolls. Meanwhile, sources familiar with Monday’s meeting said the interaction between the Bengal chief minister and Election Commission officials was tense. They alleged that Banerjee made repeated accusations during the discussion, while the Commission’s top officials maintained restraint and explained the legal framework governing the SIR process. BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, dismissed the chief minister’s Delhi visit as “dramabazi." Sources also claimed that Election Commission officials cautioned against any pressure or interference in the revision exercise, reminding the Trinamool delegation that vandalism of poll offices and obstruction of officials would be dealt with strictly under the law. The dispute over the SIR exercise is expected to remain a flashpoint in the run-up to the West Bengal Assembly elections.