Mamata Banerjee attacks Election Commission on National Voters’ Day, calls celebrations a “tragic farce”
On National Voters’ Day (25 January), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the Election Commission of acting in favour of the BJP and alleged harassment of voters during an ongoing special revision of electoral rolls. She said the poll body’s celebrations were inappropriate amid claims of disenfranchisement and intimidation.
National Voters’ Day turns into political flashpoint
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee used National Voters’ Day on Sunday, 25 January 2026, to launch a sharp critique of the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging that the constitutional body is acting to benefit the ruling BJP.
In a public statement posted on social media, Banerjee described the ECI’s National Voters’ Day observance as a “tragic farce”, arguing that the poll panel is simultaneously celebrating voters while, in her view, placing barriers that could reduce or deny voting rights for sections of the electorate.
Focus on electoral roll revision and alleged harassment
Her remarks come amid controversy around an ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise of electoral rolls in West Bengal. Banerjee alleged that the process is being used to harass citizens, including senior citizens and persons with disabilities, by demanding physical appearances and documentation checks, and she linked this to stress-related incidents.
The report notes that, after a first phase draft roll publication in December, the electorate figure reportedly dropped, with lakhs of names deleted for reasons cited by officials such as deaths, permanent migration, duplication and non-submission of forms.
What happens next
The Election Commission has maintained that people marked as unmapped or discrepant are being given an opportunity to be heard. The political dispute is likely to intensify as parties scrutinise the revision process and prepare for upcoming electoral timelines in the state.