On Monday, 2 February 2026, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived in New Delhi for a high-stakes meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at the Nirvachan Sadan.
Leading a 15-member Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation, Banerjee is formally protesting the “Special Intensive Revision” (SIR) of electoral rolls, which she claims is being weaponised by the BJP to disenfranchise millions.
Upon her arrival, the Chief Minister entered a sharp face-off with the Delhi Police outside Banga Bhavan, condemning their heavy presence as “atrocities” and contrasting it with the “red carpet” treatment given to Union Ministers in Bengal.
Accompanied by families of “SIR victims,” Banerjee demanded urgent corrective action, alleging the exercise has already caused over 100 deaths due to panic and harassment.
Mamata Banerjee in Delhi
The conflict stems from the Election Commission’s (ECI) nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which in West Bengal has seen nearly 58 lakh names removed from the draft rolls. The TMC alleges that the process is biased and technically flawed, specifically targeting constituencies to exclude traditional voters.
Tensions reached a breaking point following reports that over 100 individuals, including elderly citizens and booth-level officers, have died from stress-related causes during the rigorous verification hearings.
Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen and other eminent personalities were also reportedly summoned to prove their credentials, leading Banerjee to file a writ petition in the Supreme Court and write six letters to the CEC decrying the “inhuman” nature of the drive.
Confrontation At Banga Bhavan
The political drama intensified as Banerjee confronted Delhi Police personnel outside the state guest house, urging them to “restrain themselves from the torture of Bengal people.” “If no one fights in this country, I will fight,” she declared before meeting with the families of those allegedly killed by “SIR-panic.”
During the 4 pm meeting with the CEC, the TMC delegation, including National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, presented a memorandum demanding the reinstatement of voters flagged for “logical discrepancies.”
They specifically called for the removal of 8,100 “unilaterally appointed” micro-observers and a halt to the “arbitrary” deletion of migrants and minority groups, warning that the party is ready to fight “inch by inch” for democratic rights.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
At The Logical Indian, we believe that a clean electoral roll is essential, but it must never be achieved through a process that causes widespread fear, harassment, or loss of life. The reports of over 100 deaths linked to administrative stress are a grave indicator of a systemic failure in empathy and execution.
While the ECI’s mandate is to ensure accuracy, the methods used must be transparent and inclusive, especially when dealing with vulnerable migrant populations.
We advocate for a compassionate dialogue where the dignity of the citizen is held as high as the sanctity of the vote. Our democracy is only as strong as the trust its people place in its institutions; that trust must be earned through fairness, not intimidation.
