TMC Delegation Accuses CEC of Ignoring Rising SIR-Linked Deaths in West Bengal

New Delhi: Amid escalating political tension in West Bengal over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, a ten-member Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation, led by Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien, met the full bench of the Election Commission on Friday.

The delegation alleged that at least 40 people have died due to the SIR-linked disturbances in the state and claimed that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar has “blood on his hands.”

The meeting came at a time when the SIR process is underway in 12 states and Union Territories, including West Bengal. The TMC has been raising concerns about violence, coercion, and procedural lapses linked to the revision of the voters’ list.

The TMC team comprised Lok Sabha MPs Mahua Moitra, Satabdi Roy, Kalyan Banerjee, Pratima Mondal, Sajda Ahmed, and Rajya Sabha MPs Dola Sen, Mamata Thakur, Saket Gokhale, and Prakash Chik Baraik.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Derek O’Brien said the party had raised five key questions regarding the SIR process. However, the CEC did not respond to any of them. “We began the meeting by telling the CEC that he has blood on his hands,” O’Brien said, reiterating that the deaths recorded during the SIR verification are alarming and demand urgent intervention.

The TMC delegation said it submitted a list of at least 40 SIR-related deaths, but the Commission dismissed the information as mere allegations. Mahua Moitra, who was part of the team, stated that the Election Commission “has chosen not to take responsibility despite documented evidence submitted by the party.”

According to O’Brien, after TMC MPs spoke for around 40 minutes, the CEC addressed the delegation for nearly an hour but did not give any concrete answers. “He spoke at length but did not address a single question we raised,” O’Brien said, calling the Commission’s response “evasive and disappointing.”

The TMC’s five-point questionnaire reportedly included queries about the transparency of the SIR process, alleged police interference, reports of intimidation, and the deaths occurring during verification activities.

The Election Commission has not issued any formal response to the TMC’s claims so far. However, sources within the EC maintain that all allegations are politically motivated.

With the SIR underway across the state and political temperatures rising, the confrontation between the TMC and the Election Commission appears far from over. The ruling party is expected to intensify its campaign demanding accountability from the poll body, particularly in the run-up to the 2026 Assembly elections.

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