Mamata alleges Election Commission using BJP-linked apps for Bengal SIR

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday launched a blistering attack on the Election Commission, alleging that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state is being conducted using mobile applications developed by the BJP’s IT cell.

Speaking to reporters as she wrapped up her two-day visit to Sagar Island in South 24-Parganas — where she reviewed preparations for the annual Gangasagar Mela — Banerjee accused the poll panel of undermining democratic norms through what she described as a series of “wrong and arbitrary moves”.

“The Election Commission is resorting to all kinds of wrong practices during the SIR,” the chief minister alleged. “Eligible voters are being marked as ‘dead’. Elderly, sick and indisposed citizens are being forced to appear for hearings. Now they are even using mobile apps developed by the BJP’s IT cell. This is illegal, unconstitutional and undemocratic. This cannot be allowed to continue.”

Her remarks came on a day when Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien approached the Supreme Court, accusing the Election Commission of adopting “arbitrary and procedurally irregular” methods while carrying out the SIR in West Bengal. The party contended that the exercise has significantly worsened the hardships faced by genuine and eligible voters across the state.

Urging caution and solidarity, Banerjee appealed directly to the public. “People must remain alert while participating in the SIR,” she said. “Stand by those who are suffering because of this process. You don’t need to support me — support those who are in trouble.”

The confrontation between the state government and the poll panel has been steadily intensifying ahead of the assembly elections. Just a day earlier, Banerjee had announced her intention to move court against the SIR, alleging that the exercise has created an atmosphere of fear and harassment, and accusing the authorities of administrative arbitrariness that she claimed had resulted in deaths and hospitalisations.

As the political temperature rises, the SIR exercise has emerged as a flashpoint in West Bengal’s charged electoral landscape, with the chief minister framing it as a battle to safeguard the rights and dignity of voters.

With PTI inputs