Mamata Banerjee Claims Indias Election Process is Hijacked and Centralized

New Delhi, October 1 (Daily Kiran) : Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has voiced strong criticism against the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, amid ongoing disputes regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, she alleged that the electoral process in India has been “hijacked” and “centralized” to appease the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Referring to the Chief Election Commissioner as “Vanish Kumar,” Banerjee expressed her outrage over attempts to undermine citizens’ voting rights. “How can I forgive someone who tries to take away the right to vote from the people of India?” she questioned, emphasizing that the decision ultimately lies with the public.

Banerjee accused the Election Commission of removing names from the voter list, particularly in areas previously won by the Trinamool Congress (TMC). “We have approached the courts and even went to the Election Commission office with 100 ‘victims’ of the SIR, but we were disrespected,” she stated. She added that TMC MPs were dismissed with a “go away” when they sought to discuss party symbols with the Commission.

The former Chief Minister also raised concerns about immunity provisions enacted for election commissioners in 2023, questioning their legitimacy. She noted that the immunity bill was passed when 147 MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, suggesting it would not have gained majority support otherwise. “It is like the sting of a venomous snake. The law cannot be taken into one’s own hands under the guise of immunity,” she remarked.

Referencing allegations of “vote theft” made by Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, Banerjee lamented that it was too late to address those concerns. She claimed that around 350,000 voters were removed from the electoral rolls between the 2021 and 2026 elections.

Banerjee presented constituency-wise voter data, asserting that the highest number of voters removed were from districts where the TMC had previously won. She also accused Seema Khanna, the Director General of the Election Commission’s IT department, of being involved in the sudden removal of voters’ names.

“We have questioned her appointment in letters to the Election Commission. The electoral process, once decentralized, is now fully centralized,” Banerjee stated. She highlighted that the West Bengal Executive Officers’ Association had raised concerns about the denial of access to the ECI-NET software for Electoral Registration Officers. “Eighteen BLOs have even committed suicide,” she added.

Banerjee noted that similar incidents have occurred in states like Maharashtra, yet no one has questioned them as people trust the Election Commission. Claiming victory by 15,000 votes in the Bhawanipur constituency, she described how counting centers were taken over after two or three rounds. “I was attacked and prevented from entering the center. CCTV cameras were also blocked, and the EVMs were hacked,” she asserted.

She concluded by expressing her belief that Seema Khanna and Gyanesh Kumar have hijacked the counting process in West Bengal, alleging that Kumar’s actions were motivated by a desire to satisfy the central government.