Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday shared a series of WhatsApp screenshots purportedly dating back to April, alleging that they raise serious questions about a possible plan to delete 30 lakh names from electoral rolls amid the ongoing controversy over the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
In a post on X, Banerjee claimed that the screenshots, allegedly taken from a WhatsApp group of election observers, pointed to a “conspiracy” involving the deletion of voters' names.
“This screenshot from a WhatsApp group of observers goes back to April. It raises serious questions about an alleged conspiracy to delete 30 lakh names from the electoral rolls,” Banerjee wrote.
“This cannot be brushed aside. It cannot be buried. And it cannot be answered with silence,” he added.
Banerjee also directly named Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Chief Justice of India, saying they had “serious questions to answer before the people of this country.”
The authenticity and context of the screenshots, however, have not been independently established or officially verified.
SIR Row Intensifies Amid Allegations of Voter Deletions
The latest allegations come amid mounting political and legal scrutiny of the Election Commission's SIR exercise, which has triggered controversy over the deletion of voters' names and the procedures followed during electoral roll revision.
According to figures submitted by the Election Commission to the Supreme Court, 27.16 lakh voters were removed from the electoral rolls following the adjudication process in West Bengal. More than 22 lakh people subsequently filed appeals seeking the restoration of their names.
The controversy has intensified following an Indian Express report that two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, had raised objections on at least 14 occasions over 10 months regarding decisions and instructions related to electoral roll revision.
The report raised questions about the functioning of the three-member poll panel and the extent to which important decisions were being taken collectively.
The Election Commission, however, has maintained that decisions relating to the SIR exercise were taken unanimously. In a statement, the poll panel described internal objections and differing views as part of the normal institutional decision-making process.
“Differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberation in any institution,” the commission said, adding that written observations and internal checks were intended to improve transparency and ensure legal compliance.
The EC has also maintained that its digital platforms operate under security protocols designed to prevent unauthorised manipulation of electoral data.
