Voter List Row in Bengal
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in West Bengal has turned into a big political fight. TMC leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale, have blamed the Election Commission of India (ECI) for messing up the process. They say faulty software and wrong steps have led to the risk of deleting names of crores of real voters. Gokhale has gone further, saying Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar should face jail for what he calls manipulation to help the BJP.
The SIR started in November 2025 to clean up voter rolls in 12 states, including Bengal. The aim was to remove fake or duplicate names. But in Bengal, things went wrong fast. Gokhale shared a detailed note on social media, explaining how the ECI used a strange software to match current voters with the old 2002 list. This list was in Bengali, and when turned into English using AI, it caused errors. For example, a name like “Amit” became “O-mit”, leading to mismatches. Because of this, about 1.67 crore voters were marked as having “logical discrepancies”. Notices were sent to 95 lakh of them for hearings.
Gokhale said this was a rushed job. Normally, SIR takes eight months, but here it was done in three. When the AI plan did not work fully, he claims, the ECI brought in central government officers as micro-observers. These people were supposed to just watch, but they got powers to delete names through WhatsApp messages, not official orders. This sidelined local officers.
Saket Gokhale’s Strong Claims Against CEC
In his post, Gokhale directly pointed at CEC Gyanesh Kumar. He said Kumar manipulated the SIR to delete voters who might not support the BJP. “This is how Amit Shah’s CEC Gyanesh Kumar MANIPULATED the SIR in Bengal,” Gokhale wrote. He listed points like using mysterious AI to flag 1.67 crore voters, giving illegal powers to micro-observers, and ignoring court orders.
Gokhale called it a fraud that puts 80 lakh valid voters at risk, just days before the final list deadline on February 28, 2026. “CEC GYANESH KUMAR MUST BE JAILED FOR DESTROYING INDIA’S ELECTORAL PROCESS TO HELP THE BJP,” he said. He shared this as part of an “explosive” investigation, urging people to read and spread it.
Other TMC leaders back this. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee went to the Supreme Court against the process. She said the ECI used AI made by the BJP to delete names, especially of women who changed surnames after marriage. TMC MP Derek O’Brien accused Kumar of having “blood on his hands” over deaths of booth officers from overwork during SIR.
Court Steps In Amid Rising Tensions
The Supreme Court got involved after TMC complaints. It replaced the micro-observers with sitting and retired district judges from Bengal. But the Calcutta High Court said these judges need at least three months to finish 95 lakh hearings. Now, the top court has asked for judges from Odisha and Jharkhand to help speed things up.
With only three days left for the final list, many worry about unfinished hearings. Gokhale said hearings for 80 lakh voters must be done fast because of the ECI’s mistakes. If not, real voters could lose their right to vote in the 2026 Bengal elections.
The ECI has admitted some software problems. Officials said the ERONET system had issues, and an old de-duplication tool was stopped in 2023. But they deny any bias. CEC Kumar said the SIR is to make lists clean and that states must help under the law. BJP leaders call it needed to remove fake voters, like infiltrators.
Impact on Voters and Politics
This row has made people in Bengal anxious. Many families, especially in villages, fear losing voting rights due to name errors or missing documents. TMC says it’s a plan to weaken them before 2026 polls. They have filed police cases against Kumar and held protests.
Lawyer Prashant Bhushan called the ECI a tool of the ruling party and questioned the rush. The ECI has suspended some officials for mistakes, but TMC wants more action.
As the deadline nears, all eyes are on the Supreme Court. If hearings are not done, the list might get delayed, affecting elections.
Role of AI Software and Reported Errors
The ECI brought in AI tools to help with the revision. The idea was to use face recognition to spot duplicate voters or fake entries. Officials said this would stop dead people or those registered in many places from staying on the list. But critics say the software was not tested well and caused big problems. In one report, it was said that the AI made errors in translating names from old lists, leading to wrong flags.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee wrote to the ECI saying, “The EC, while sitting in Delhi, used AI tools devised by the BJP to delete names. These AI software accounted for the name mismatch in SIR data. They deleted the names of women who changed their surnames post marriage.” She claimed 54 lakh genuine voters were removed without a chance to explain.
The ECI has admitted some software issues. Senior officials said technical problems in the ERONET system caused these discrepancies. They also told the Supreme Court that an older deduplication software was not effective and was stopped in 2023. But the new AI for SIR has faced similar complaints.
Micro-Observers and Allegations of Illegal Powers
To oversee the hearings, the ECI appointed micro-observers from central government offices. Their job was to watch and report. But some say these observers took over and deleted names themselves. TMC leaders claim they got powers through WhatsApp messages, not official orders. This sidelined local election officers.
TMC MP Dola Sen told the Supreme Court that micro-observers were overriding decisions and logging in from wrong places. Documents uploaded became blurry, making it hard to verify. The court stepped in and replaced these observers with sitting and retired judges from Bengal.
But even with judges, the work is huge. The Calcutta High Court said it would take at least three months to finish all hearings. Now, the Supreme Court has asked for judges from Odisha and Jharkhand to help. The final list is due on February 28, 2026, which is just days away. About 50 lakh cases are still pending.
Accusations Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar
CEC Gyanesh Kumar announced the SIR in October 2025. He said it would cover 51 crore voters and make lists error-free. But in Bengal, he has faced strong criticism. TMC spokesperson Saket Gokhale called for his arrest, saying he manipulated the process to help BJP. Complaints were filed against him in police stations for harassing voters.
Kumar denied any friction with the state government. He said states must support the ECI under the Constitution. BJP leaders support the SIR, saying it’s needed to remove fake voters. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said it’s to clean the rolls and accused opposition of protecting infiltrators.
Prashant Bhushan, a lawyer, said the ECI acts like a stooge of the ruling party. He questioned the timing and transparency.
Impact on Voters and Future Elections
Many worry that real voters, like migrants or women with name changes, will lose their right to vote. In Bengal, with elections in 2026, this could change results. The ECI suspended seven officials for lapses. But opposition says it’s not enough.
The Supreme Court is watching closely. It has asked for more judges to speed up hearings. If not done on time, the final list might be delayed.
FAQs
What is the SIR process and why is it controversial in West Bengal?
The SIR is a special drive by the ECI to update voter lists by removing fakes and duplicates. In Bengal, it’s controversial because TMC says faulty AI software flagged 1.67 crore real voters as mismatches, leading to possible deletions. They claim it’s biased to help BJP.
Why does Saket Gokhale want CEC Gyanesh Kumar jailed?
Gokhale says Kumar rigged the SIR with bad software, rushed timelines, and illegal powers to observers. He claims it’s fraud to delete voters and destroy fair elections, so Kumar should face criminal charges.
What role did AI software play in the problems?
The ECI used AI to translate old Bengali voter lists to English and match names. Errors like wrong spellings caused “logical discrepancies”. Gokhale calls it mysterious and botched, leading to notices for 95 lakh people.
What has the Supreme Court done about this?
The court replaced central micro-observers with Bengal judges after bias claims. When time was short, it added judges from Odisha and Jharkhand to finish hearings before February 28, 2026.
How many voters could be affected?
Up to 1.67 crore were flagged at first. Now, about 80 lakh face risk of deletion if hearings are not completed in time, per Gokhale.