Sibal alleges ‘abuse of power’ in Bengal polls, targets CEC over voter deletions

Independent Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on 22 April alleged misuse of state machinery and bias in the conduct of West Bengal Assembly elections, targeting the Election Commission (EC) and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over voter roll revisions and security deployment.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Sibal accused the poll body of acting “in cahoots” with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a claim not independently verified. He described the situation as a “national shame” and questioned the rationale behind decisions taken by the Commission in the run-up to polling.

“It is a national shame… nothing that the chief election commissioner says is logical,” Sibal said, criticising what he termed the use of a “logical discrepancy” argument to remove voters from electoral rolls.

Questions over voter deletions and AI use

Sibal alleged that the EC had adopted a method of identifying so-called discrepancies in voter data, leading to deletion of names based on age differences between voters and their parents.

“If there is less than a 15-year gap or more than a 50-year gap between a voter and their parent, names are deleted… and all this is being done through AI,” he said.

He claimed that such criteria were selectively applied in West Bengal and were not used in previous elections in states such as Maharashtra and Haryana, raising concerns about consistency and fairness.

According to Sibal, the process risks “disenfranchising” voters and undermining the integrity of the electoral process. He questioned the legal basis of such deletions and called for greater transparency in how electoral rolls are being revised.

Concerns over scale of security deployment

The senior advocate also flagged the scale of deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in West Bengal, stating that around 2,400 companies had been stationed in the state for the elections.

“This means approximately 2.4 lakh personnel… it comes to roughly one personnel for every 100 people,” Sibal said, suggesting that the scale of deployment was excessive.

He compared the deployment to other regions, including Jammu and Kashmir and conflict-affected states, questioning whether such a large presence was justified.

“It seems the CAPF and the Election Commission, not the BJP, are fighting this election,” he said, alleging a “gross abuse of state machinery”.

Allegations on use of government resources

Sibal also alleged misuse of government infrastructure for political purposes, including claims that special trains were arranged to transport party workers from other states to West Bengal.

“Parties contest elections, not the government. But here the government is fighting the election,” he said.

He further alleged that people seeking to return home had faced restrictions, while political workers were facilitated travel, a claim not independently verified.

“If the Railways is taking party workers, it is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct,” he added.

Transfers, campaign rhetoric and political context

The MP also questioned the transfer of hundreds of officials during the election period, arguing that such actions raised concerns about administrative neutrality.

“Where does the CEC get these powers from? Nobody in this country has unlimited power,” he said.

He criticised statements made by BJP leaders during the campaign, saying the nature of political discourse had become increasingly polarised.

Referring to the contest against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Sibal said the scale of mobilisation by the ruling party at the Centre was disproportionate.

“There is a woman standing against you and you have put the entire strength of the country,” he said.

Electoral outlook and background

Sibal expressed confidence that the Trinamool Congress would perform strongly in the elections, citing feedback from the ground, though no independent projections were cited.

West Bengal is voting in two phases on 23 April and 29 April, covering all 294 Assembly constituencies. The first phase includes 152 seats across north Bengal and parts of southern districts.

The elections have witnessed intense political contestation, with issues such as voter roll revisions, security deployment, identity politics and campaign rhetoric dominating the discourse.

The Election Commission has not immediately responded to Sibal’s allegations.

Results of the Assembly elections are scheduled to be declared on 4 May.