West Bengal’s Firebrand LoP Advocated SIR; Abhishek Banerjee Affirms 2026 Assembly Win.

Kolkata; December 2025: West Bengal Assembly Leader of Opposition and senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday took a sharp jibe at the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), asserting that the BJP fights elections without relying on what he termed as fake, dead or illegal voters, amid the ongoing debate of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.

Speaking on the voter list revision exercise, Adhikari said the BJP believes in transparent electoral practices and does not resort to proxy voting. “We are honest people. The BJP does not contest elections by relying on dead voters, fake voters and Bangladeshi infiltrators. The BJP doesn’t indulge in proxy voting. Everything has been exposed regarding what is in the voter list in Bengal,” he said,

claiming that the SIR has brought out irregularities that existed for years.

Adhikari’s remarks come at a time when the Election Commission of India (ECI) has completed the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls as part of preparations for the next West Bengal Assembly elections, expected to be held in March-April 2026. The draft rolls released on Tuesday show that 58,20,899 names, about 7.59 per cent of the total electorate, have been provisionally deleted on grounds such as death, permanent migration, or untraceability.

According to the ECI, out of over 7.66 crore registered electors in the state, more than 7.08 crore had submitted enumeration forms by December 11. The poll body has clarified that the draft list is not final and that eligible voters whose names are missing can seek inclusion during the claims and objections

period. The revision exercise, however, has triggered a political debate in the state. The Trinamool Congress has alleged that the SIR is politically motivated and has raised questions over its implementation, while maintaining that its support base remains unaffected.

The Election Commission has stated that the claims and objections window will remain open until 15 January 2026, urging voters to verify their details as the SIR continues to be a key issue in Bengal’s charged political landscape ahead of the next Assembly polls.

All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday expressed confidence that the Trinamool Congress’s vote percentage and seat count will increase in the upcoming elections, surpassing the 2021 figures. Speaking to media persons, he warned the BJP that if this happens, they will have to apologise to the people of Bengal and release the withheld Rs 2 crore within 7 days.

“No matter what you do, the Trinamool Congress’s vote percentage and seat count will increase as compared to 2021. When it increases, the BJP will have to apologise to 10 crore Bengalis and release the Rs 2 crore they have withheld from Bengal within 7 days“.

Recalling his earlier challenge to the SIR exercise, Banerjee said he had questioned the move within 24 hours of its announcement in November. “I challenged you from a press conference in Kolkata that even if you do SIR or FIR, TMC’s seats and vote percentage will increase. Even after one and a half months, the challenge has not been accepted. Who is scared now? The person who is challenging or who has been challenged? I am challenging them, and they are scared“.

The next West Bengal Legislative Assembly election is expected to be held in March-April 2026. In preparation for this, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has recently concluded a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. The draft list, published on Tuesday, shows that more than 58

lakh (5.8 million) names have been provisionally deleted to remove duplicates, shift voters, or mark them as deceased. Banerjee also commented on the deletion of 58 lakh names from the electoral roll after the Special Summary Revision (SIR) in West Bengal, stating that the draft list is not the final list and the claim and objection period is ongoing until January 31.

He expressed dissatisfaction with the SIR process, attributing the deletion of names to the Election Commission’s appointed Booth Level Officers (BLOs).

“The draft list has been released; it is not the final list. The claim and objection period will continue until 31 January. I will say anything about it only after the final list is released. I am not satisfied with how SIR is being implemented in the state. The BLOs were not appointed by the TMC or the West Bengal government; the Election Commission appointed them. They have held the EC responsible for their death. Did the BJP provide a list of people who were granted citizenship under the CAA? Where is the accountability of the BJP?”, said Banerjee.

The Election Commission, in its draft rolls released on Tuesday, said that 58,20,899 electors, about 7.59% of the total electorate, were deleted for reasons including death, untraceability, or permanent migration. Out of 7,66,37,529 registered voters, 7,08,16,630 had submitted enumeration forms as of December 11.

The poll body clarified that eligible voters who may have been excluded can still be included during the claims and objections window, which runs from December 16 to January 15, 2026. The TMC, however, has continued to allege that the SIR exercise is politically motivated, while expressing confidence that its support base in Bengal remains intact.

Team Maverick.